Romelu Lukaku to make Everton return against German side SC Paderborn
Aug 1 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Blues take on the German outfit on Saturday, August 9
Romelu Lukaku is likely to make his hotly-anticipated return as a permanent Everton FC player in the club’s final pre-season game in Germany, says Roberto Martinez.
The Belgian striker became the Blues record signing on Wednesday when he joined in a deal worth up to £28m, and immediately jetted off to enjoy the remaining part of his holiday following his World Cup exertions for Belgium. But Martinez explained that the 21-year-old, along with compatriot and fellow Blue Kevin Mirallas, will be back in training at Finch Farm on August 7, meaning he will be in the frame to play a part in the club’s final summer friendly before the season begins, against newly promoted Bundesliga side SC Paderborn. Martinez said: “He wants to be at Leon Osman’s testimonial on Sunday and he’ll be presented to our fans. He doesn’t want to miss that occasion. “But he’ll be back in full training on August 7 the same as Kevin Mirallas after their time at the World Cup. We’ll then see him back playing in a game before the start of the season.”
Martinez still wants to add another two players to his squad in time for the new season, with his pursuit of Chelsea winger Christian Atsu ongoing. “The priority was to get Rom,” he said. “There are another couple of positions we need to strengthen and getting Rom makes it a bit clearer.
“It allows everyone else in the squad to be excited and embrace the competition.
“Every Evertonian had a real hope we could bring someone like him in on a permanent basis. The board, and especially the chairman have been magnificent in making this a reality. It’s a big moment in Everton’s history and it will allow us to push our intentions even further going into the new season.”

Everton FC transfer gossip: Ghana winger closes in on Blues move; Guardado in Martinez's sights; Galloway deal close
August 1 1914 Liverpool Echo
A round up of today's transfer rumours
Ghana winger Christian Atsu is set to be the next player to join Everton FC, according to Ghanasoccernet.com .
They report that the young Chelsea winger will complete a loan move to Goodison Park in the coming days as Roberto Martinez continues his recruitment drive.
The 22-year-old is said to be surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and therefore Jose Mourinho will allow the winger to move on-loan. Martinez could be preparing a shock move for World Cup star Andres Guardado, that's reported by Royal Blue Mersey .
The Mexican winger impressed during the tournament in Brazil and various sources on Twitter reported that Martinez is keen on the Valencia man. He is thought to be available for about £5m after reportedly being told by Valencia that he no longer has a future at the Mestalla.
A deal for Brendan Galloway could finally be close to completion, that's according to the Coventry Telegraph . The MK Dons starlet is said to be a target for Martinez and the Dons value the midfielder at around £1m. They report that a contract dispute between Galloway and his club has held up the deal with the Blues happy to pay around £400,000 plus add ons.

Bright young Blues: The ones to watch
August 1 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Harry Ward
As a new season looms, these are the youngsters to keep a close eye on.
Everton FC's pre-season preparations are now in full swing and with it comes not only the opportunity to strengthen the squad and work on fitness, but a chance for some of the younger players to stake their claim for a first team spot. Ross Barkley's dramatic rise proves that it can be done, so who are the up and coming Blues you need to keep an eye on?
Tyias Browning
Pacey and physically strong, Browning has the necessary credentials needed to play fullback in the Premier League. The 20-year old has been with the club since 2004 and at times last season featured on the bench for the Blues without making a first team appearance whilst also spending January on loan at Championship side Wigan Athletic. The natural attacking instincts of Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines have been encouraged under Roberto Martinez. Browning shares their desire to maraud forward and join in with attacks, so any inclusion in the first team would not upset the balance that Martinez has implemented in his side. With only only one year left on his contract, Browning knows he needs a big season. No-one expects him to displace Coleman, but if he's able to prove his credentials as an able deputy to the Irishmen then a new deal may be on the cards.
Conor McAleny
McAleny has been mooted to break into the first team since his debut in 2011, where he came inches away from scoring against Arsenal, but has since never quite managed the big breakthrough that was expected of him.
The 21-year old striker has proven himself to be prolific at both youth and reserve team level but found his progress halted last season by an unfortunate leg break only four matches into a loan spell at Brentford. Now injury free, the youngster found himself appearing more and more frequently on the bench last season and was rewarded with a new three year contract in July having suitably impressed Martinez.
Ryan Ledson
Only 16-years of age, Ryan Ledson looks nailed on to have a huge future ahead of him.
The central midfielder has been with the club for 11-years and only became a first-year scholar at Everton last Summer but has quickly shown his class and a maturity beyond his tender years culminating in making the bench for a Premier League game late last season.
Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment though is captaining the England-U17 's to last season's European Championship, whilst converting a penalty in the final against Holland.
With a good range of passing, tackling and an eye for goal, expect to see more and more of Ryan Ledson in the not too distant future.
Conor Grant
Everyone loves a good winger, and EFC may just have one in the form of 19-year old Conor Grant.
Like McAleny, he found his opportunities last season hampered by injury and didn't manage the breakthrough he was hoping for after impressing in the previous pre-season.
Now injury free, he is looking to have an impact and fulfill his potential for the team he loves.
Oh, and he also scored this outrageous goal in Austria last month.
Luke Garbutt
Out of all EFC's young prospects, Luke Garbutt looks the one primed to break into the first team.
Having joined the Everton academy from Leeds in 2009, the 21-year old has represented England at Under-16, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-20 level whilst impressing during loan spells at Cheltenham Town and Colchester before making his first team debut in April against Southampton.
Leicester's Marc Albrighton, left, fights for the ball with Everton's Luke Garbutt
The left-back is increasingly growing in stature and bares many similarities to his first team counterpart Leighton Baines.
With the extra exertions of European football on the horizon expect to see Garbutt very soon. As anyone who's seen him in pre-season will testify, the kid looks ready.

Watch: Leon Osman looks back on Blues career ahead of testimonial
Aug 1 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Neil Jones
Sunday’s testimonial against FC Porto is deserved recognition for more than a decade’s stellar service
It's not the biggest game Leon Osman has played for Everton, but when he walks out onto the Goodison Park pitch this weekend, he will receive the kind of ovation reserved for those with a special place in Blue hearts. Rightly so, too. Not many players in the modern era complete 10 years with one club, especially at the top level. Most are lucky to reach five. Loyalty in football is a commodity in increasingly short supply. For Osman, Sunday’s testimonial against FC Porto is deserved recognition for more than a decade’s stellar service. The 33-year-old, a veteran of 388 Everton appearances, is looking forward to his big day with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. “To be there, centre-stage, with everyone pointing at you, that makes me nervous,” he told the ECHO earlier this week. His concern is perhaps understandable, given the way his Everton career has panned out. Centre-stage is not a position the 33-year-old is necessarily used to.
He has had to work hard, harder than most, to find his niche at Goodison.
Video: Osman on his Blues career As a teenager of prodigious talent, Osman was a member of Everton’s 1998 FA Youth Cup winning side, but lost more than a year of his development to a serious knee injury shortly after. He was forced to watch on as his peers – Francis Jeffers, Danny Cadamarteri, Tony Hibbert, Richard Dunne – moved towards the first team.
“I had my doubts, absolutely,” he says. “I had a couple of years of bad injuries, and it was really tough. “I didn’t doubt that I would come back, though. I was positive, even if some people wondered whether I would come back the same player.” He pauses, then smiles: “Whether I did or not, who knows?” Osman’s progress thereafter was steady if unspectacular. He was almost 22 by the time his senior Everton debut came about - “I got about 90 seconds as we lost 4-3 at Spurs,” he remembers – but by then he had already sampled life at the other end of the football spectrum, with an eye-opening loan spell at Carlisle United.
“Oh, it was tough,” he says.
“We were bottom of what is now League Two, in administration, and struggling on and off the field.
“It was the first time I’d played league football, and it was a real eye-opener. Growing up at Everton, you’re protected and looked after with good facilities. Carlisle showed me a different side to football. I definitely learnt a lot.” Carlisle was not his only spell away from Goodison. After the briefest of debuts, and one further substitute appearance, Osman found himself sidelined once more as the 2003/04 campaign came around. “I wasn’t getting the chances I felt I needed,” he says. “And after Christmas David Moyes called me in and asked if I wanted to go out on loan to Derby for three months. “Derby were pretty much bottom of the Championship at the time, and it was big pressure. “But it went really well, I learnt a lot, developed my game, and when I came back the manager felt I had ticked the boxes I needed to tick to be given my chance.”
That chance, as it happened, came the very next week, away at Wolves. Osman, handed his first Everton start, scored within two minutes, though the Blues would eventually lose 2-1. He kept his place for the final two games of the season. “I always felt I was good enough to get into the first team and that it was just a matter of time,” he says. “I just needed to get that chance, and it turned out that I had to wait a while.
“The loan spells were stepping stones.
“If you ask every young kid at Everton now, they will tell you they’re ready to play in the first team now. “I was like that. “I felt ready, but the coaching staff and the manager assured me that I wasn’t quite there. They sent me on loan, and in the long term I have to say it was the right decision.”
Since then, Osman’s career has blossomed. Video: Osman on his pre-testimonial nerves and hopes for next season A favourite of Moyes, his versatility and football brain stood out, though the man himself believes his ability to play a number of positions hasn’t always benefited him.
“I think as a youngster, being versatile held me back,” he says. “If I was playing, say, centre midfield for three or four games, when another midfielder came back, I’d be shoved across or out wide.
“It made it more difficult for me to establish myself in one position, to show that I was better than the other guy in that position. “But for my longevity, it must have helped, because I’ve always managed to keep in the team.” He credits Moyes, and the continuity of his reign at Goodison, as key to his development. “I’d be interested to see if I’d have had the same career if I’d have had, say, 10 different managers,” he says. “I do wonder what might have happened had David Moyes not stayed so long, but I’m glad he did. He was great for me.” Now, Osman faces a new kind of challenge. Roberto Martinez has tended to use him a little more sparingly than Moyes did, and competition for midfield places is fierce. Nonetheless, he still started 27 out of 38 league games last season, and believes he has the game to continue at the top level for a while to come.
“I have always believed in myself,” he says. “I’m not the biggest or the strongest, but I think I’ve always been clever on the pitch, and picked things up quickly. “People might be stronger or faster, but if I can read a situation quicker than them, then I can be five yards ahead before they set off. That’s always been my biggest strength, reading situations. “They say the physical side starts to go as you get older. “Well, people have always joked that I have not got much to lose! I’ve not got much pace or much strength! “I’m not sure how it will go, we will have to wait and see, but as long as my mind stays sharp I think I can be OK for a good few years yet.”

Analysis: Can Everton FC avoid a Europa League hangover this season?
August 1 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Harry Ward
What do the stats say about EFC's chances?
Everton fans arrive at Goodison
Stoke, Newcastle, Swansea, all clubs that, in recent years, have seen their excursions in Europe coincide with a noticeable downturn in their Premier league fortunes.
The natural deduction has long been that playing mid-week leaves you with a "hangover" the following weekend. An unavoidable consequence of daring to push for European glory.
Is it true though? With Everton all set to return to the European stage, can we find out the reality of this long held belief? Well, the fine gentlemen of the Trinity Mirror data unit have crunched the numbers regarding the results for Premier league teams playing in the Europa League over the past five seasons. The data proves that the so called "hangover" may not exist at all.
Those taking part in the Europa League have a 47% win rate following a mid-week contest compared to a 44% win ratio on the weekend before. Champions League data yielded similar results with a 61% win ratio in contrast to 59% the previous week. So rest easy Everton fans, the stats show that if anything your form will be better after your travels. And stats don't lie. Do they?

Everton close in on Atsu loan deal
August 1 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Chelsea winger expected to join on season-long loan
Everton FC are closing in on a season-long loan deal for Chelsea and Ghana winger Christian Atsu.
Roberto Martinez has identified the 22-year-old as a replacement for Barcelona starlet Gerard Deulofeu who enjoyed a successful temporary spell at Goodison last term.
The ECHO understands that talks with Chelsea have progressed over the last 24 hours, following the completion of the £28m deal for Romelu Lukaku on Wednesday. Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright enjoys a cordial relationship with his Stamford Bridge counterpart Bruce Buck, and Chelsea were impressed with Everton's handling of Lukaku while on loan last term, believing Atsu can make similar progress on Merseyside. The pacy wide-man was signed from Porto on a five-year deal last summer, but spent last season on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnheim where he made 28 appearances and scored five goals.

Leon Osman: I always knew I'd play for Everton - and I'm good for a few more years yet
August 1 2014 Liverpool Daily
By Neil Jones
Blues midfielder set for centre-stage after taking the long road to the top at Goodison Park and gaining the appreciation of both the club and fans
It’s not the biggest game Leon Osman has played for Everton, but when he walks out onto the Goodison Park pitch this weekend, he will receive the kind of ovation reserved for those with a special place in Blue hearts. Rightly so, too. Not many players in the modern era complete 10 years with one club, especially at the top level. Most are lucky to reach five. Loyalty in football is a commodity in increasingly short supply. The 33-year-old, a veteran of 388 Everton appearances, is looking forward to his big day with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. “To be there, centre-stage, with everyone pointing at you, that makes me nervous,” he said. His concern is perhaps understandable, given the way his Everton career has panned out. Centre-stage is not a position the 33-year-old is necessarily used to. He has had to work hard, harder than most, to find his niche at Goodison. As a teenager of prodigious talent, Osman was a member of Everton’s 1998 FA Youth Cup winning side, but lost more than a year of his development to a serious knee injury shortly after.
He was forced to watch on as his peers – Francis Jeffers, Danny Cadamarteri, Tony Hibbert, Richard Dunne – moved towards the first team.“I had my doubts, absolutely,” he says. “I had a couple of years of bad injuries, and it was really tough. “I didn’t doubt that I would come back, though. I was positive, even if some people wondered whether I would come back the same player.”
He pauses, then smiles: “Whether I did or not, who knows?” Osman’s progress thereafter was steady if unspectacular. He was almost 22 by the time his senior Everton debut came about - “I got about 90 seconds as we lost 4-3 at Spurs,” he remembers – but by then he had already sampled life at the other end of the football spectrum, with an eye-opening loan spell at Carlisle United.
“Oh, it was tough,” he says. “We were bottom of what is now League Two, in administration, and struggling on and off the field. “It was the first time I’d played league football, and it was a real eye-opener. Growing up at Everton, you’re protected and looked after with good facilities. Carlisle showed me a different side to football. I definitely learnt a lot.” Carlisle was not his only spell away from Goodison. After the briefest of debuts, and one further substitute appearance, Osman found himself sidelined once more as the 2003/04 campaign came around. “I wasn’t getting the chances I felt I needed,” he says. “And after Christmas David Moyes called me in and asked if I wanted to go out on loan to Derby for three months. “Derby were pretty much bottom of the Championship at the time, and it was big pressure. “But it went really well, I learnt a lot, developed my game, and when I came back the manager felt I had ticked the boxes I needed to tick to be given my chance.”
That chance, as it happened, came the very next week, away at Wolves. Osman, handed his first Everton start, scored within two minutes, though the Blues would eventually lose 2-1. He kept his place for the final two games of the season. “I always felt I was good enough to get into the first team and that it was just a matter of time,” he says. “I just needed to get that chance, and it turned out that I had to wait a while.“ The loan spells were stepping stones. “If you ask every young kid at Everton now, they will tell you they’re ready to play in the first team now. “I was like that. I felt ready, but the coaching staff and the manager assured me that I wasn’t quite there. They sent me on loan, and in the long term I have to say it was the right decision.” Since then, Osman’s career has blossomed. A favourite of Moyes, his versatility and football brain stood out, though the man himself believes his ability to play a number of positions hasn’t always benefited him.
“I think as a youngster, being versatile held me back,” he says. “If I was playing, say, centre midfield for three or four games, when another midfielder came back, I’d be shoved across or out wide.
“It made it more difficult for me to establish myself in one position, to show that I was better than the other guy in that position. “But for my longevity, it must have helped, because I’ve always managed to keep in the team.” He credits Moyes, and the continuity of his reign at Goodison, as key to his development. “I’d be interested to see if I’d have had the same career if I’d have had, say, 10 different managers,” he says. “I do wonder what might have happened had David Moyes not stayed so long, but I’m glad he did. He was great for me.” Now, Osman faces a new kind of challenge. Roberto Martinez has tended to use him a little more sparingly than Moyes did, and competition for midfield places is fierce. Nonetheless, he still started 27 out of 38 league games last season, and believes he has the game to continue at the top level for a while to come. “I have always believed in myself,” he says. “I’m not the biggest or the strongest, but I think I’ve always been clever on the pitch, and picked things up quickly. “People might be stronger or faster, but if I can read a situation quicker than them, then I can be five yards ahead before they set off. That’s always been my biggest strength, reading situations. “They say the physical side starts to go as you get older. Well, people have always joked that I have not got much to lose! I’ve not got much pace or much strength!
“I’m not sure how it will go, we will have to wait and see, but as long as my mind stays sharp I think I can be OK for a good few years yet.”

Everton manager Roberto Martinez would be 'more than welcome' at Barcelona, says Gerard Deulofeu
The Spaniard has long been earmarked as a future Barcelona manager
Agency
Friday 01 August 2014 Indenpendent
Gerard Deulofeu believes Everton manager Roberto Martinez would be "more than welcome" at Barcelona.
Deulofeu spent last season on loan at Goodison Park and helped Martinez's side secure a fifth-place Barclays Premier League finish and Europa League qualification The Toffees were only pipped to fourth place by Arsenal in the final few weeks of the season and Martinez's instant success on Merseyside - following his switch from Wigan the previous summer - saw him touted by some as a future Barcelona manager. While stopping short of suggesting that Martinez has what it takes to succeed in the Nou Camp dugout, 20-year-old forward Deulofeu was full of praise for his former boss. Asked if he could see his compatriot managing at Barca or if he thought he was good enough to do so, Deulofeu said: "It is difficult to say. "I had one lovely year with him, which was a great experience. He helped me a lot. "If one day he came to Barcelona, he would be more than welcome and it would be good for him." Everton broke their transfer record this week by splashing out £28million on Chelsea's Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, another player who excelled while on loan with the Toffees last term. And Deulofeu has backed his former team-mate to continue shining for the Merseysiders. "I think Lukaku is a really great footballer - he helped Everton last year very much indeed," Deulofeu said. "He has huge quality and I think he will do very well at Everton this season. "If Chelsea decided to sell Lukaku, it is because they have their reasons.
"The only thing I can say is that I wish the best for him - I am happy for him to go to Everton because he is going to have a great season, which will help him a lot." Romelu Lukaku is presented by Roberto Martinez as an Everton player following his £28m move Following his successful stint in English football, Deulofeu is hoping to break into the Barcelona first team during the forthcoming season. Such an achievement would be no mean feat given the plethora of attacking options available at the Catalan club, but Deulofeu has immense confidence in his own ability.
"I don't think it is a particularly difficult season (to break through)," the Spain international said.
"I believe in myself. I am very enthusiastic and I am going to try as hard as I can to show everybody that I can play for the first team."

Martinez says Osman can carry on playing at top level for as long as he wants
August 1 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Long serving Blue gets testimonial game on Sunday against Porto at Goodison Park
Roberto Martinez believes Leon Osman can keep playing at the top for as long as he wants.
The Everton FC manager says it is “impossible” to know how many more years the 33-year-old has got left in his career because he does not rely on his pace or power.
Ahead of Osman’s testimonial match at Goodison Park tomorrow afternoon against Porto, Martinez has praised Osman for being the only player to feature in every Premier League game for the club last season. Osman, who has played 358 times for Everton, returned to Finch Farm earlier than required this summer in order to get himself ready for the rigours of pre-season training as he looks for another complete campaign for the Blues. And Martinez sees no reason why the Billinge-born midfielder cannot repeat the feat. “I think Ossie is a very unique type of footballer and I think it is impossible to guess how many more years he can play for because he doesn’t rely on his physical ability,” Martinez told the ECHO. “A player could be ‘out of date’ if you like, when you rely on the power and the pace but Leon Osman relies on his tactical awareness and his decision making, quick feet and ability so I think if anything, the older he has got the more important he has become.
“He was the only player for us to play in every single league game for us last season and so that makes it impossible to say for how many more years he can carry on playing at the top level.”
Martinez added: “He has really good fitness levels at an experienced moment of his career and shows a level of ability that allowed him to be important in a number of games, where he came up with solutions when the team needed it most. “But it’s true that you need to work with Leon to appreciate him.”

What can Blues expect if Ghanian winger Christian Atsu heads to Goodison Park?
August 2 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Talks between the Toffees and Chelsea outfit understood to be at an advanced stage
Wanted - a twinkle-toed flyer who can change games with a drop of his shoulder and burst of pace.
Everton FC had just that last season in the capricious guise of Barcelona’s Gerard Deulofeu, but the young Catalan is back at Camp Nou ready to try and force his way into Luis Enrique’s team for the forthcoming campaign, That’s why Roberto Martinez is keen to unearth a similar player who can come to Goodison for a term on loan and help the Blues tackle the twin challenges of domestic progress and the Europa League. Currently the search has been narrowed to Chelsea and Ghana winger Christian Atsu, with talks between the Toffees and the Stamford Bridge outfit understood to be at an advanced stage. But if a deal can be brokered over the next 48 hours, just what are Everton supporters in store for when the season begins on August 16? The good news is that the 22-year-old is more of a team player than the kid from Catalunya who sporadically lit up Goodison during the 2013/14 season. While Deulofeu was undoubtedly blessed with mesmerising ability with the ball at his feet, all to often gasps of appreciation from the Goodison gallery turned into groans of frustration when the teenager ignored a better placed team-mate for a pass or ran down a blind alley in a bid to impress. Deulofeu had an eye for an assist although his crossing repertoire was largely restricted to low balls whipped across the six yard box. Atsu is a far better crosser, and capable of delivering an array of different balls - something which would be a major plus with Romelu Lukaku now guaranteed to be on the end of them. Atsu is only 5ft8in but has a powerful physique which ensures he is difficult for full-backs to shove off the ball. He may not share the same level of technical ability as Deulofeu, but with three seasons spent in the first team of top flight clubs (Porto, Rio Ave and Vitesse Arnhem) under his belt, he is likely to provide more end product and consistency. Born into a large family, as a twin and youngest of 11 children, Atsu grew up in Ghana’s Greater Accra region, in the Medina district. It was there he honed his formative ability - like many of the greats - playing street football after school. His footballing career began in earnest at the age of 10, when he was spotted by the Feyenoord academy while playing for his local side Pride FC. It was at the Dutch club’s renowned Ghanian training centre that he would spend many of his teenage years before joining the youth team of Cheetah FC – the Ghanaian Second Division side – in early 2009. By the age of 17 the youngster was already attracting attention from foreign clubs after stand-out performances at youth competitions, and in January 2010 he was taken by a Canadian scout to FC Porto for a three-day trial. The Primeira Liga side were suitably impressed by what they witnessed and offered the teenager a six-month deal at the club. By all accounts the first six months in Portugal were not easy. Atsu has subsequently admitted to struggling with learning a new language and the change in climate. However, Porto saw enough from him to offer an extended deal. In his first full season under then coach Andre Villas-Boas though, Atsu’s fortunes changed dramatically. He was voted the club’s Best Young Player of 2010-11, as they claimed the country’s league title, and a couple of months later he was voted Player of the Tournament as his side swept to victory in the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup 2011 – earning a new three-year contract with the club.
His performances at youth level, in turn, earned the opportunity of a loan move to another Portuguese top flight side Rio Ave for the following campaign. He played 27 times, scoring six goals and adding four assists. Atsu’s first season at senior level was a resounding success and he once more received accolades for his efforts, winning Rio Ave’s Player of the Year award for 2011-12. Such an impressive ascent had also caught the eye of the Ghanaian national team set-up and in June 2012, he made his senior international bow against Lesotho. The winger is primarily left-footed but can play on either flank and cut inside to whip balls into the area. He uses his low centre of gravity and excellent close-control to change direction sharply and is comfortable attacking the opposing full-back on either side, making use of his searing pace. However, the winger does need to be more clinical in front of goal and, during his time at Rio Ave in 2011-12, was guilty on occasion of shooting tamely when presented with clear opportunities – particularly on his right-foot. His crossing, though, is generally on the mark and he is often given the responsibility of taking set-pieces for his sides. A bundle of energy, Atsu tracks back enthusiastically to protect his full-backs - a quality which had to be coaxed into Deulofeu, and is strong in the tackle. In a head to head statistical match-up based on last season, Atsu out-performed Deulofeu. The African had twice as many shots on target per game, five times more accurate crosses and was fouled more. He also made more than twice the defensive actions in terms of regaining possession although he was more erratic in terns of being dispossessed and turnovers - twice as many as Deulofeu. Former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan is certainly an admirer of the Blues target. He said: “I’ve seen all three games that he has played for Ghana and he’s been incredible. “If he continues this way he’s going to be a star.”
Let’s hope this particular rising star can burn brightly at Goodison next term.

Royal Blue: The ultimate professional they all look up to
August 2 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
No player deserves their moment in the sun more than Osman
It's increasingly rare to find a club-man in the modern Premier league who is not simply there to tick a box but because he’s still got plenty to offer his team.
Leon Osman is the rare sort of player who is cherished in these increasingly transfer-crazy times as an individual who has stayed loyal to the cause. More than that, he has found a way to stay relevant and important during an evolving domestic scene when a player not blessed with particular height or brute physical strength has nonetheless kept ahead of the pack. Osman carved his niche under David Moyes, the manager he owes the mainstay of his longevity to even if at times he suffered for his flexibility and the Scot’s propensity to use such players to the full extent of their adaptability. Osman played in every position across the midfield under Moyes, and clocked up an impressive 345 appearances during that 11-year spell including two belated England caps.
He was one of Moyes’ mini-managers; often the first name on his team sheet such was his belief in the Billinge-born performer. He also scored some sensational goals during that era; memorably a header against Manchester City when the 5ft8in schemer out-jumped the towering Vincent Kompany to score, and ‘that’ goal against Larissa in the 2007 Uefa Cup. Yet while he was a favourite of Moyes, he occasionally divided opinion among the supporters as some seemed to rally against him in that unique way because he was one of their own, and tacitly there to be shot at.
Would he – the doubters speculated – fade out of the picture when a new man took charge?
Last season was when Osman faced that question and dashed any notion that his long career beforehand was simply thanks to one manager’s preferences. If anything he exploded that myth with ten tonnes of dynamite. Osman featured in every game under the Catalan last season, even if not always from the start, and his enduring fitness and consistency was a major element of the club’s fifth place finish. What’s more the 33-year-old seemed to flourish under a manager who advocates the style of passing which he was born to thrive under. If any of the club’s current ball playing young midfielders, and they are blessed with several from John Lundstram to Liam Walsh, they can look up to no greater example than Osman. He’s the ultimate professional who never kicks up a stink, trains hard regardless of the niggling injuries which beset any man past 30, and does anything asked of him. Let’s hope a hearty crowd can applaud him at Goodison tomorrow, Ossie deserves it.
Watch former Everton star Stubbs discuss Cancer ordeal
Alan Stubbs, wearing the 2002 Everton kit
Blues should tune into BT Sport on Thursday (8.30PM BT Sport 1) to hear former skipper and current Hibs boss Alan Stubbs discuss his battle with cancer. Stubbs features in a film about Supporters United, an initiative which aims to build a better world through sport. “When the Supporters Club asked me if I’d be willing to go back to Glasgow to take part in a documentary about cancer charity CLIC Sargent it was a no-brainer for so many reasons,” he said. “Firstly of course there is my personal experience with cancer. I always said to myself that I wanted to get back playing football as a form of inspiration to others. To show that you can go through adversity and come out the other side. I hope my journey did that in some way and even though I’m no longer playing I try to offer my support wherever I can because I know first-hand how difficult that process can be, mentally as much as physically. So to go back to Glasgow, a city with such special memories for me, to meet old friends and make new ones too was an easy decision. “Chatting to Caillan and Nicole, two young people who have been through the cancer experience, I realised just how important charities like CLIC Sargent are, providing practical, financial and emotional support to young people with cancer.
“CLIC Sargent help these young people to understand the illness and to rebuild their lives. That can often involve sport which I know has terrific healing qualities. For these young people it can help too. Going for a run or having a game of football can boost your mood as well as your fitness and that is a key part of the recovery process.”
Join the countdown to the big kick-off
Evertonians will be able to join in the countdown to kick off next weekend by attending a special 2014/15 launch event at Goodison Park. To coincide with the first-team’s pre-season match at SC Paderborn and to look ahead to the forthcoming Premier League campaign, the Blues will be welcoming a lucky group of supporters to Goodison on Saturday August 9 to watch a screening of the friendly alongside club heroes Graeme Sharp and Ian Snodin. The event, which will run from 1pm-6pm and have a German-theme to mark the meeting with the newly-promoted Bundesliga outfit, is free of charge but available to a limited number of supporters only.
To apply for a ticket, supporters must register their interest with a form available on evertonfc.com. Successful applicants, chosen at random, will be notified via email on Tuesday 5 August and tickets will be sent to their postal address ahead of the event. As well as the broadcast of the Toffees’ final pre-season fixture inside Goodison’s popular People’s Club lounge, the event will get supporters geed up for the mouthwatering home games against Arsenal and Chelsea on 23 August and 30 August respectively. Indeed, as well as being able to take part in a Q&A session with Sharp and Snodin, those unable to travel over to the Benteler Arena will also get a taste of German entertainment and cuisine and be treated to a premiere showing of the first-team’s Crossbar Challenge filmed by evertontv during the recent trip to Austria. Everton are urging supporters to buy their tickets for Leon Osman’s testimonial in plenty of time to avoid queues at the Box Office – and save money. The club is expecting a large walk-up for the fixture tomorrow against FC Porto so to avoid queues at the box office and turnstiles, fans are strongly advised to purchase their tickets in advance and arrive early. As well as avoiding queues on the day, there are savings to be made by securing your seat early. Tickets are currently £20 for adults and £10 for juniors and over 65s, but tickets will increase to £25 for adults if purchased on matchday. The Fan Centre is open from 10am-4pm on Saturday for those wishing to collect their ticket in advance. Tickets can also be purchased at Everton Two, Liverpool One or the TicketQuarter, located in Queen Square. To buy online visit evertonfc.com/eticketing or to book over the phone, call 0871 663 1878

Everton announce signing of 18-year-old defender Brendan Galloway on five-year deal
Everton sign 18-year-old defender Brendan Galloway from MK Dons
Young centre-back has been likened to Rio Ferdinand
Galloway will join Everton's Under-21 squad
By Ashley Clements
August 2 2014 Daily Mail
Everton have announced the signing of 18-year-old defender Brendan Galloway from MK Dons for an undisclosed fee. The England youth international has signed a five-year-contract with Roberto Martinez's side and will join up with the club's Under-21 squad. Galloway made a total of 17 appearances for the Dons last season and has been hailed as the next Rio Ferdinand by those that watch him play regularly.
Who is Brendan Galloway?
The Zimbabwe-born player has been capped by England up to Under 19 level. Those who have watched him play regularly say he is in the mould of Rio Ferdinand.
Was the youngest player ever to take to the field for MK Dons, aged just 15, when he came on as a substitute in 2011. He also became the youngest player in MK Dons' history to feature for the club when, at the age of 15, he made his debut as a second-half substitute in a 6-0 FA Cup victory over Nantwich Town in November 2011. The defender to Everton's official website: It means an awful lot to me coming to such a great Club. 'I'm now looking forward to learning off some of the more senior players - the likes of Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka. 'Long-term, I also want to get in the Everton team and play week in and week out in the Premier League and play in a team that's doing well, which I know we will do.'

Everton complete signing of 18-year-old Brendan Galloway from MK Dons
August 2 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Joe Rimmer
The defender will join Everton's Under-21 squad after penning a five-year deal
Everton FC have completed the signing of MK Dons prospect Brendan Galloway on a five-year contract. The 18-year-old joins the club for an undisclosed fee after making 17 appearances for the League One club, scoring once. Galloway became the youngest player to appear for MK Dons in 2011 when he made his debut aged 15. He has also represented England at youth level.
The Blues have chased Galloway for a number of weeks and his signing concludes a busy week for Roberto Martinez's side. Earlier this week the club announced the signing of Muhamed Besic before Ross Barkley penned a new four-year deal. The club then shocked supporters by clinching the £28m signing of Romelu Lukaku and are looking to tie up a deal for Chelsea winger Christian Atsu.
A delighted Galloway said: "It means an awful lot to me coming to such a great club.
"I'm now looking forward to learning off some of the more senior players - the likes of Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka. "I've been watching them for years now and they're great professionals, great players - players who have been there and done it. That's a big thing for me to be able to learn off guys like that. "Short-term,I just want to work hard to better myself as a footballer here, which I know I will with the coaches and other staff here. "Long-term, I also want to get in the Everton team and play week in and week out in the Premier League and play in a team that's doing well, which I know we will do."

Everton FC transfer gossip: Blues chase Gambian starlet; Atsu deal on verge of completion; Kramer still a target
August 2 1014 Liverpool Echo
By Liverpool Echo
A round-up of today's transfer rumours
Everton FC are one of a number of clubs chasing Gambian starlet Modou Barrow according to the player's agent. Willie McKay told Sky Sports that the Blues had joined the queue for the 21-year-old's services and says that he could be available for as little as £1.5m.
He said: "There is a great deal of interest in Modou and that is no surprise as he been the best player in Sweden this season. "I have spoken with several clubs, including Everton, Bolton, Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday about Modou and they are keen on him. "He is available for as little as €1.5million and he is also on comparatively low wages so he would be a bargain for someone."
Barrow has scored eight goals in 15 appearances for his club, Ostersunds FK which has caught the eye of several English clubs.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Christian Atsu's move to Everton is very close to be completed, that's according to Ghana Soccernet.
The 22-year-old winger will join the Blues on a season-long loan move from Chelsea and will act as a replacement for Gerard Deulofeu. The skillful winger started his career at Porto before moving to Chelsea last summer. Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Christoph Kramer is a target for Roberto Martinez, that is reported by German newspaper Bild . The World Cup winner is reportedly on Martinez's list of targets but it remains to be seen whether the Spaniard will do business after strengthening his midfield with the additions of Gareth Barry and Muhamed Besic already this summer. 23-year-old Kramer started the World Cup final for Germany and is very highly rated in his homeland.

Lukaku and Blues are match made in heaven, says former Goodison idol Campbell
Auygust 3 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Chris Beesley
Record signing is statement of intent says former Everton goal hero
Blues icon Kevin Campbell is delighted that his former club have finally managed to tie the knot with Romelu Lukaku and land the Belgian striker in a permanent deal.
Evertonians have been smitten with Lukaku ever since he arrived at Goodison on transfer deadline day last year but up to now have been reluctant to get too emotionally attached for the fear of getting their hearts broken. The former Anderlecht man was originally only at the club on loan and it was felt the better he did in Everton shirt, the more likely it would be that he’d be swapping their royal blue jersey for Chelsea’s again in the coming campaign. But it seems that such affections were mutual and the 21-year-old is now back with Everton - only this time for keeps.
Ultimately it appears that Lukaku and Jose Mourinho had irreconcilable differences.
It could have been a messy divorce but fortunately for Roberto Martinez, the long courtship has paid off and Lukaku this week joined the Blues for a club record £28million fee. Campbell, 44, said: “Rom wants to make a name for himself but he was not getting opportunities at Chelsea.
“After doing it for West Brom he came here with a lot more pressure but it’s been a marriage made in heaven. “He’s obviously cost big money but that’s what you have to pay for these premium guys who can put the ball in the back of the net.” Like Lukaku, Campbell first arrived at Goodison on loan, joining from Turkish club Trabzonspor in March 1999 and he also finished top scorer in his first season at the club - netting nine times in just eight games to almost single-handedly save Walter Smith’s side from relegation. The Londoner appreciates the instant impact that Lukaku also had for the Blues. Campbell said: “Rom’s a proven player for Everton. He came on loan at just gelled.
“He got on with the manager and fitted into the system, there is a real togetherness.
“When he got injured after the derby, the cutting edge that he brings to the table was lacking.
“It’s a great piece of business by Roberto Martinez and Bill Kenwright. They can have great pride in landing their number one target. “Rom’s certainly a marquee signing. He’s young but proven. Only two players have scored more goals in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons.”
Lambeth-born Campbell knows what it’s like trying to establish yourself as a striker at a big club having come through the youth ranks at Arsenal. A winner of a European trophy with the Gunners plus all three domestic honours including the 1991 League Championship, he reckons Lukaku’s goals could have handed this year’s title to capital rivals Chelsea ahead of Manchester City had the Belgian remained at Stamford Bridge. He said: “You just need to be given a chance. If he’d have played for Chelsea last season then they would probably have been champions. “Obviously there were issues with the hierarchy there and they have more experienced options. He was a little bit raw coming to the Premier League from Anderlecht and you need to adjust and step up.” Done with playing second fiddle to Ian Wright, Alan Smith and new boy John Hartson, Campbell eventually quit first club Arsenal in 1995 shortly after George Graham’s departure from Highbury and he recognises the importance to Lukaku of being the main man. He said: “I think this coming season will be the most important for him. Hopefully he can get another run of games. “He’s got good people around him now. I don’t blame him for wanting to play games, that’s what everyone wants.
“Rom is trusted by Everton and is with a manager he knows. If he hadn’t enjoyed himself at Everton he’d have had his chance to make his excuses and go somewhere else because he was very much sought after. “You can tell by his body language though that he’s genuinely excited. It’s nice to know you’re going to be playing.” While Campbell is delighted to see the Blues land their number one target of the summer, he still feels there is room for more big names to arrive.
He said: “To acquire permanently Rom is massive for Everton. It’s a statement but I wouldn’t necessarily go as far as saying it’s a statement of intent. “A statement of intent would be if they bolstered the squad with three or four more quality signings. If I saw that then I think people would really take notice. “I like Rom because he leads the line very well and can also cut inside from the wings but most importantly he knows where the goal is. “He seems a very level-headed boy and is well-liked by his team-mates because he puts a shift in. “You’ve got to remember that in football terms he’s still only a baby but under the tutelage of Martinez and his staff he can become a big threat in the coming years, especially with the likes of Ross Barkley providing service for him.”
Campbell has been impressed with how the team have developed so far under Martinez and expects to see them improve further this term. He said: “You can never rest on your laurels in football but Rom and Everton are learning together. Last season was their first under Martinez and he’ll be looking to get a lot more out of the players this season. “It’s good that they’re in Europe because that’s a stepping stone. It doesn’t have to be the Champions League as that can make things more difficult to gauge where you are. “This way they can try and build something more permanent.
“I think that Everton are doing things properly as they look to progress.”
History of Everton's record signings Everton’s first £1million player was also their first £2million player as Tony Cottee joined from West Ham for what was briefly at British transfer record fee of £2.2million in August 1988. The fee was soon eclipsed by Ian Rush’s return to Anfield from Juventus but the Londoner remained the Blues most expensive player until a week before he left the club in September 1994. Cottee’s return to the East End was partly due to Mike Walker financing his £3million record purchase of Daniel Amokachi from Brugge. It was all change before the end of the year though as Walker was sacked and new boss Joe Royle broke the club record again to make on-loan Duncan Ferguson’s move to Goodison a permanent one with a £4million fee going to Rangers.
Royle would break the club record twice more as he netted Andrei Kanchelskis from Manchester United for £5million in 2005 and Nick Barmby from Middlesbrough for £5.75m in 2006.
It wouldn’t be until January 2005 that David Moyes, armed with the cash from the sale of Wayne Rooney and chasing a Champions League place, broke the record again to sign James Beattie for £6million from Southampton.
The Scot would break the record another three times to buy Andrew Johnson for £8.6million from Crystal Palace (2006), Ayegbeni Yakubu for £11.25million from Middlesbrough (2007) and Marouane Fellaini for £15million from Standard Liege in 2008.

Celebration time for vintage Osman whose Blues breakthrough was worth the wait
August 7 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Chris Beesley
Stalwart midfielder waited nearly five years for debut after winning Youth Cup in 1988
They don’t give out bottles of bubbly for the man-of-the-match award in the Premier League like when Leon Osman started his career but the Everton midfielder is the football equivalent of a vintage Champagne. Oozing with class, Ossie as he’s known to everyone at Goodison Park, is now 33 years old but just seems to get better with age. While several of his peers were like a shot of vodka – a quick, intense buzz that soon disappeared – Osman has now played more Premier League matches for the Blues than anyone else. Retirement isn’t even close to be mentioned for him either so in the coming seasons, Osman now has the chance to cement his position in Everton’s record books. Today he is rewarded for his long service with a testimonial against Porto, the 27-times champions of Portugal plus two-time winners of both the Champions League and Europa League.
As benefit matches go, this will be a stellar occasion. It’s staggering really that Osman leads the way in Everton appearances in the modern era given his relatively late start in first team football.
He said: “I was 21 when I made my debut and nearly 23 when I started for the first time so it was a long time coming. “I won the FA Youth Cup when I was 16 in 1998. We had some good players in the team, Richard Dunne, Francis Jeffers, Danny Cadamarteri and Hibbo. “Over the next 18 months three of them were playing in the first team. It was difficult to watch other people making the grade and me not quite being there yet or getting to the level I wanted. “It took another five years or so before I was there but it was certainly worth waiting for.” Those early years at Goodison must have been tough for the Billinge-born youngster but he was under no illusions why things weren’t happening for him. Osman said: “Immediately after the FA Youth Cup success was the beginning of my troubles. “I tore my cartilage in the final and from that point for the next three years I was constantly dogged by injuries. “The coaching staff didn’t have to explain to me at the time why it wasn’t going for me. I was breaking down more than I was fit. “I just needed to have faith and believe in myself.” He added: “I never worried that I wouldn’t make it. “I honestly thought it was just another hurdle I needed to get over. I’d concentrate on getting over a particular injury, play a run of games in the reserves and then break down again but I never looked long term thinking it might be over.” It was following a couple of loan spells that Osman was finally handed a chance with the Blues senior side and he believes being farmed out to the lower divisions helped made him ready to take his opportunity. He said: “There’s only so much reserve football you can play.
“This was when reserve football was proper reserve football and the first teamers that weren’t playing came and played. “It was decided to send me on loan to Carlisle. I had a good three months there, toughened up, came back and made my debut.” Osman has Everton’s former injury prone keeper Richard Wright to thank for handing him his big break in the dying seconds of a 4-3 loss at Spurs on January 12 2003. He said: “I didn’t know I was going to be involved.
“I was there as a youth team lad to be 17th man who travels but doesn’t strip - they only had five subs back then. “Myself and Kevin McLeod were going to be sat in the stands but Richard Wright got injured in the warm-up and Espen Baardsen went in goal. “There was an extra space on the bench and the manager decided it was going to be me not Kev that got on the bench.
“It was an unbelievably good match. We lost 4-3 and the manager [David Moyes] decided to throw me on for what turned out to be the last 90 seconds and said ‘go get us a goal.’
“I think I touched it once but to be involved in that game, get on the pitch and finally make my debut was a dream.” Although Osman initially saw himself as primarily a central midfielder, his ability to play in a variety of roles has often meant that first Moyes and now Roberto Martinez have found a place for him in the team, he admits his adaptability can be both a blessing and a curse.
He said: “Versatility has kept me in the team but it sometimes works against you as it prevents you from establishing yourself in one position. “My understanding of the game and what managers want helps. I got to the point where I could tell what David Moyes wanted before he could sometimes.”
Osman was part of the Everton squad that recorded their highest ever Premier League points tally last season but sees no reason why the Blues can’t strive to do even better this term.
He said: “We’ve got to be aiming high. We’ve had one season finishing fifth. We’ve now got extra games. It’s going to be difficult to repeat what we did last season but if we can try and improve on what we did in the first season that has to be our first aim.” Maybe Osman should even be demanding the armband on a more regular basis given his record as captain. He said: “I don’t want to jinx it but I think we’ve drawn two and won the rest in about 16 games.
“They weren’t all easy games. I remember we’ve played Manchester City a few times and Chelsea so it’s a good record to have. “I couldn’t tell you what the secret is but I hope it continues.”
"I've got a few more good years left" Given the delayed start to his senior career, Osman is in no rush to hang up his boots. The temples might be turning a more distinguished grey but physically the midfielder has shown no signs of slowing down. Osman was the only player to feature in every Everton game last season and he hopes to play a significant part in the forthcoming campaign.
He said: “I certainly hope I can go on for a few years yet. It’s no longer about players 1-to-11, it’s the squad. “We’ve got the extra competition of the Europa League this year that will hopefully bring a lot of extra games. “It’s going to be incredibly difficult to play in all of these games but when the manager requires you and you’re needed you’ve got to try and make an impact.
“If you’re doing that either as a starter or a sub then he’s going to still need you.”
Osman admits when he got his first 90-second cameo, he never imagined he’d go on to become an Everton record breaker after over a decade’s service in the Premier League.
He said: “I definitely did not see myself breaking any club appearance records.
“I gave myself achievable goals. To play in the reserves and then the first team, then so many first team appearances. “Then it was just a short-term goal to make my first team debut. Then it took me another 14 months to make my first team start. “I’ve been making little goals since then and thankfully I’ve been hitting them so far.” Tickets for today’s game are still available on the gate at Goodison Park. Matchday prices are £25 for adults and £10 for over-65s and under-16s.
All proceeds from both Leon Osman’s testimonial game between Everton and Porto and every event in his testimonial year will go to Claire House and Make-A-Wish Foundation UK.
Trophy trail remains the big goal left for Osman Leon Osman was part of the Everton side that won the 1998 FA Youth Cup As he enters his testimonial year Leon Osman is determined to fulfil one more goal in his Everton career – lifting some silverware. The Blues recorded their highest ever Premier League points tally last season but in over a decade playing in their first team, Osman has yet to win a trophy. As a teenager he played in the Everton FA Youth Cup-winning side of 1998 but the 33-year-old is desperate to capture a senior honour with Roberto Martinez’s side.
Osman said: “My long-term goal has been to win some silverware. That’s something I haven’t quite achieved yet. It’s the one thing that I’ve still not managed. “I’ll be making sure everyone at the club is striving to put that right. The manager has said he wants to bring some silverware back and that’s our goal. “That would be a dream to finally win a trophy for the club and be involved in that. I do believe once we win a first trophy with the squad we’ve got and the manager and the ability of the team it won’t be a one-off and we can go on to win a few more over the seasons ahead.”

Lee Carsley: £28m deal for Romelu Lukaku a statement of intent
August 3 2014 Livepool Echo
By Lee Carsley
Blues legend also on Osman, Barkley and Besic
Like all Everton FC fans I was overjoyed to learn that we’d finally signed Romelu Lukaku but I was taken aback by the massive fee.
Spending £28million on one striker signifies that we’ve truly arrived when it comes to the elite sector of transfers. Where did we get that kind of money from?
We’re told that Bill Kenwright has worked his magic and the fee will be paid in installments – I think my local furniture warehouse is offering a similar kind of deal! Of course the figure totally eclipses our previous record of £15million for Marouane Fellaini but that deal was totally justified because the club had to pay that kind of money to find a replacement for me. Like many Blues I was left waiting nervously as 7pm came and went on Wednesday and was wondering just what was going on but in the end it was all worth it. We’ve all been aware of what Lukaku can do ever since he burst onto the scene in his first spell out on loan from Chelsea at West Brom. He had a fantastic start here last season followed by a patch when he didn’t score many goals but then recovered well to finish the campaign strongly. Now it’s time for both the player and the club to push on from what they achieved last term. We’ve craved this kind of striker for years but all Premier League teams are desperate to get a regular goalscorer. It’s the hardest position in any team and that’s why players like Lukaku command such fees. The good thing is that this Everton side creates a lot of chances while Lukaku can also fashion opportunities for himself too. We’ve tried him out for a year and he’s shown he has the right kind of personality. Let’s just hope that his desire remains strong now he’s got a long-term deal with the club.
I don’t think Roberto is finished there though.
He’s said all along that we could do with another couple of options in the forward positions and managing to get Lukaku on board, along with the other new deals we’ve mentioned will all help when it comes to attracting further recruits before the transfer window closes.
Ossie has grown into his role over the years It’s my old pal Leon Osman ’s big night tonight and I wish him all the best for his well-deserved testimonial game. Everton means so much to him and he’s always been a great lad to have around the club along with his mate Tony Hibbert .
I wondered whether Hibbo might be in line for a testimonial too but of course he had his a couple of years ago when he took that free-kick – how could I forget? Ossie has become a stronger personality around the Blues changing room the older he’s got. Back when I was playing he was was a bit quieter because he wasn’t one of the senior pros. I remember when you used to see him in training, you’d think who is this little fella, I’m going to knock him off the ball but he’s so physically strong in possession. I loved playing in midfield alongside Ossie and he had a great knack of scoring goals too. Before he made his first team breakthrough at Everton he was loaned out to another of my old clubs Derby County. I was back at Derby the other day and all the staff still talk about Ossie and the impact he had in his short spell there which tells you everything. Great to see how much Barkley loves playing for the Blues Even before Lukaku’s arrival was even announced this week, the news that Ross Barkley had signed a new four year contract was a big deal for everyone at Everton.
It’s always a sound policy to try and tie down the players you want to keep hold of before going out to bring in your targets and seeing Ross commit himself to the club on a long term basis along with others such as Seamus Coleman and Tim Howard is terrific.
Given the season he has just had and the attention he got going to the World Cup finals with England, there will have been lots of wealthy clubs eyeing up Ross so the new contract has come as a massive bonus. I was also encouraged by what Ross said in his interview this week.
Sometimes you just try and say the right things but I think it was pretty clear that he never wanted to go anywhere else and he loves playing for Everton. We’ve got to remember that before last season, Ross was not a first team regular. I was informed about a stat regarding young players that typically they only play about four games when they first break into the first team.
They will then typically go out on loan, play in drips and drabs or disappear from view completely.
Ross had a couple of loan spells out that weren’t massive successes and these players are still very much in the development stage and there will be peaks and troughs.
Leon Osman also gave an interview saying how Ross deserves his position as ‘teacher’s pet’ at Finch Farm but Ossie was teacher’s pet at the club for over a decade so he’s probably just had his nose put out of joint.
I can't wait to see Muhamed Besic in action
We musn't forget Muhamed Besic among all this excitement regarding new signings.
As somebody who plays in my old position, I’m looking forward to seeing him in a blue shirt in the months ahead. He obviously arrives fresh from the World Cup with his stock high but it will be interesting to see how he progresses in the Premier League environment.
He certainly fits the criteria for what Roberto Martinez is looking for in that he’s young and he’s hungry to do well for Everton.

Everton 1-1 Porto: Phil Kirkbride's on-the-whistle match report from Goodison Park
August 3 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
All the action from Goodison Park as Everton take on Porto in Leon Osman's testimonial match
Everton FC marked Leon Osman 's testimonial game with a draw against Champions League-bound Porto at Goodison Park.
Osman's big day looked to heading for a victory after Steven Naismith put the Blues ahead just before half-time. But Porto, who dominated much of the game, levelled through Jackson Martinez's strike mid-way through the second period. Osman, who has made 388 appearances for the club, was given a standing ovation before the match and one again just before the end of the friendly when manager Roberto Martinez replaced him with Conor McAleny. The 33-year-old had come close to scoring in the final 10 minutes but he sent sending a diving header just over the bar from Aiden McGeady 's cross A rapturous reception was also reserved for Everton's record signing Romelu Lukaku who was on the pitch at half-time. The Blues also got a first glimpse of new recruit Muhamed Besic and the Bosnian produced an encouraging cameo in a three man midfield alongside Gareth Barry and James McCarthy . But the afternoon belonged to the long-serving Osman and esteem in which he is held was highlighted by the fact that Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard cut short his break after the World Cup in order to play the first 19 minutes of the testimonial.
Everton are back in pre-season action on Wednesday night when they face Celta Vigo at Prenton Park, home of Tranmere Rovers.
Everton (4-2-3-1): Howard (Robles), Hibbert, Jagielka (Stones 54), Alcaraz (Distin 46), Baines (Browning 54), Osman (c) (McAleny 86), Barry, McGeady (Hope 85), Barkley (Besic 46), Pienaar (McCarthy 46), Naismith (Hope 86). Subs: Kennedy, Lundstram, Duffy.
Goal: Naismith (42)Porto (4-2-3-1): Fabiano, Danilo (Opare 86), Maicon (Reyes 76), Indi, Sandro (Angel 76), Neves (Quintero 55), Herrera (Eduardo 75), Torres (Jackson 46), Evandro (Casemiro 55), Quaresman (Brahimi 46), Lopez (Tello 55). Subs: Nunes,
Goal: Jackson (58)

Leon Osman says Muhamed Besic has potential to become an Everton hero
August 3 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Bosnian midfielder makes first appearance for Blues in Osman testimonial
Munhamed Besic has the potential to become an Everton favourite, says Leon Osman.
The Bosnian midfielder made his first appearance for the Blues in the 33-year-old’s testimonial yesterday and impressed with a 45 minute cameo. Besic delivered a number of eye-catching passes, smart turns and some full-blooded tackles in the second-half against Porto.
And Osman says the Everton squad have seen that quality from the £4m man in training at Finch Farm. “He hasn’t tackled that aggressively in training, thankfully,” Osman said with a smile.
“But the touches and quality he has shown in training. “It was a really good debut for the lad and if he plays like that every week then he will be a crowd favourite for many years.” Osman returned to pre-season training earlier than required last month. Asked if he had ever been as excited about a season as this one, he said: “I’m this excited every season. “Especially as I’m getting older I like to come back and make sure my body is in the right shape for pre-season to try and avoid injuries. “I did that this year and touch wood it has gone well so far.”

Leon Osman says Goodison reception left him humbled on testimonial
August 3 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Thirty-three-year-old describes occasion as "amazing" as Blues took on Porto in his honour
Leon Osman says he was ‘humbled’ by the reception he received at his testimonial game.
The 33-year-old was honoured by the club at Goodison Park as Porto provided the opposition for a friendly to celebrate over a decade of his service. Everton drew 1-1 with the Portuguese side and Osman - given a guard of honour before the match - was handed a standing ovation five minutes from time when he was substituted. “It was amazing,” Osman said. “It was truly humbling to get that reception from the Evertonians. “I can’t put into words how I feel about the whole thing and about this club but it was an amazing moment and I thoroughly enjoyed it.” He added: “I wish I could have another one next week.” In the dying moments of the game, Osman had the chance to mark his big day with a goal. But as Aiden McGeady’s cross came into the area, the 33-year-old admits he got his header all wrong as it sailed over the bar. “I got giddy about it,” he said with a laugh. “I closed my eyes, jumped at the wrong time and I don’t know what happened.”
Porto, preparing for a Champions League play-off later this month, handed Everton a stern test at Goodison and dominated large spells of the game. Osman says it provided the Blues with an ideal taster ahead of their return to European competition. “This was an opportunity to play against a top European side and to try ourselves against a good team,” he said. “We got to show that we are good defensively and can keep teams out and we’re going to have to do that this season.
“There aren’t many teams in this country that you can play in pre-season that will keep the ball off us and have more possession than us like Porto did. “It helped us work on our defensive side of the game. It was a really good test for us.” Osman featured in every Premier League game last season but was often used as an impact sub. The Academy product wants to start every match but says last term taught him a valuable lesson. “I want to play every minute of every game and Roberto knows that,” he added. “We’ve discussed it and had a bit of a laugh over it. “But as you get more experienced you realise it’s a long season to ask players to be at their peak for the whole season.
“Last season was a real learning experience for me because I didn’t play 90 minutes in every game but when I look back, I figured in every game and played some important roles to win games for us. I learnt you don’t need to play 90 minutes to help the team win games.”

Everton FC transfer gossip: Atsu deal stalemate; Blues may lose out on Rodwell
August 4 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Liverpool Echo
A round up of today's transfer rumours
The deal to bring Chelsea winger Christian Atsu to Goodison has stalled, according to Sky Sports journalist Pete O'Rourke. Despite the details being unknown, missing out on the exciting youngster could be a big blow for Everton given their long standing interest in the player. Martinez had been looking to bring in the pacey wide man sooner rather than later, but may be forced to either play the waiting game or move onto other targets as he attempts to further strengthen his squad. Former Blue's midfielder and possible transfer target Jack Rodwell could be on the verge of a move to Sunderland, claims Goal.com.
The Black Cats are in pole position to land the former Everton man, despite reported interest from more than half of the Premier League's 20 clubs. Everton will now have to act fast if they want to bring Rodwell back to Merseyside. The 23-year-old has been beset with injuries since moving to City from Goodison Park in 2012, and has started just seven Premier League games in two seasons.

Ossie's class is priceless' - match report from Leon Osman's testimonial
August 4 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
1 Comments
Porto provide stern test for midfielder's testimonial as Lukaku is welcomed to Goodison Park
It's the age of mega-money in football. An era of eye-watering finance.
Vast sums are paid for squad players, and some clubs shell out stellar fees which would represent the gross domestic product of a small nation just to bag the latest in vogue super-star.
At Goodison yesterday, Everton showed the product of their own muscle in the market, unveiling £28m man Romelu Lukaku to the home faithful at half-time. The big striker received rapturous applause, but if the decibels didn’t quite raise the roof that’s only because everyone was saving their voices for another moment. In the 85th minute Roberto Martinez replaced Leon Osman with Conor McAleny, and every fan inside the Old Lady rose to show a true Everton stalwart the regard in which he is held. Since the 33-year-old made his debut in 2003 the Toffees have spent almost £200m on players. It’s testament to Osman’s enduring ability that he remains very much part of the first team set-up today as he has done throughout that era. He has dipped out and in of fashion as a footballer; but some things have never changed. Osman’s commitment, professionalism and ability to provide a touch of class to everything he does on the field have remained reassuringly consistent.
That’s why the 388 game veteran who passed through the academy with his pal Tony Hibbert would have been facing Porto anyway, even if the game had not been chosen as his testimonial.
He appeared in every one of the club’s Premier League fixtures last term, and is on course to have a similar influence in Martinez’s second season in charge. It was fitting that such stylish opponents were selected for his big day. Porto are Champions League perennials and provided a quality work-out for the hosts which tested both their fitness and tactical clarity ahead of their own return to continental competition in the coming months. Both sides were slick and assured in possession during the early stages, pinging the ball about smartly and trying to create an opening, although Everton went closest first with a move started by a suitably exquisite Osman pass which split Porto’s defence and allowed Steven Pienaar to cut inside and cross only for danger to be snuffed out as Steven Naismith lurked near the penalty spot. For the Blues there were touches of rustiness, most notable in a few errant passes from Aiden McGeady who was trying hard to impress and skipper Phil Jagielka who has only been back in training for a week following his extended World Cup break.
However Martinez’s men made the brighter start, working the ball into dangerous positions without ever really forcing Fabiano into a save. As the first half wore on, the Portuguese side began to assert themselves and peg Everton back although, again, barely managed to register a shot on target for all their possession and attacking incision. The half appeared to be meandering towards stalemate as both defences soaked up the pressure, until opposition keeper Fabiano had a mini-meltdown.
His attempted pass to full back Martins Indi was intercepted by McGeady who passed to Naismith, and the Scotland striker had time to pick his spot and find the bottom left hand corner of the net.
The half time break heralded the official Goodison welcome back for Lukaku, who made his way down from the Main Stand to receive his first applause as a permanent Blue.
However once the action resumed the predictable raft of changes from both sides began to see the tempo and speed of the game drop. Porto fared better and equalised when a passing exchange on the edge of Everton’s area saw the ball ricochet to Jackson Martinez, who curled a left-footed shot beyond Joel Robles. By then the Old Lady was enjoying Muhamed Besic’s first appearance in a blue shirt, with the 21-year-old Bosnian quickly endearing himself courtesy of an all-action display complete with no-nonsense tackling, and decisive use of the ball. But it wasn’t enough to prevent Julen Lopetegui’s side taking the ascendency as Martinez increasingly became a nuisance and fellow substitute Quintero also having a growing influence with his skilful probing. But the Toffees staged a late revival, which in fairness owed much to McGeady’s incessant work-rate and presented Osman with two headed chances to claim his moment of glory. Both came from crosses down the right and the testimonial man narrowly failed to connect with the first, and just got his angle a fraction wrong from the second. In the meantime he cut inside the area and was about to pull the trigger only to be denied by an excellent crunching tackle from Danilo. It was a shame there was to be no goal for Ossie to spark memories of that thundering header against Manchester City, or his stunner in the victory over Larissa. But there’s time for him to create more memories yet.
The hair may be greying, the stress on his body increasing, and the big-money recruits in his position continue to arrive. But Osman has made a habit of thriving regardless of the challenges he’s faced.
*Speaking after the match, Osman said he was ‘humbled’ by the reception he received at his testimonial game - and spoke of how Muhamed Besic has the potential to become a favourite at Goodison Park.

Martinez: Besic looked like a player who had been at Everton for years
August 4 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Blues boss hails midfielder as 'complete footballer' after all-action Goodison cameo
New boy Muhamed Besic played like an Everton veteran on his Goodison debut, insists Roberto Martinez. The midfielder impressed with a lively all-action 45-minute cameo during Leon Osman’s testimonial match on Sunday, which the Toffees drew 1-1 with Champions League outfit Porto.
And Martinez, who paid £4m to clinch Besic’s signature from Ferencvaros after watching him shine for Bosnia in the World Cup, predicts he has the raw materials to be a crowd favourite on Merseyside. He said: “I thought he looked like a player who has been at Everton for years. That’s what I saw in the World Cup – someone who is fazed by nothing, whether that’s man-marking Lionel Messi or getting on the ball and making you play. He’s a complete footballer. “He’s only 21 and has the maturity of a very experienced player. I enjoyed his performance and even more so straight away the fans adopted him and made him feel like an Evertonian. That’s the best thing that can happen to a new signing. There was a real chemistry. “He’s very powerful and his physicality is one of his great strengths. He’s at the same fitness level as Ross Barkley and will play 60 minutes on Wednesday against Celta Vigo. “I’m confident he’ll be fit for the start of the season. I’ve got no doubts he’ll cope with the Premier League. He’s exciting to work with and brings us something we haven’t got.” Everton were without Darron Gibson, who was not risked as he steps up his rehabilitation but will play on Wednesday at Prenton Park. Meanwhile, Martinez said that Romelu Lukaku, who was welcomed back to the Goodison pitch at half-time after signing a permanent deal, will now not feature in any of the club’s scheduled pre-season games. However, he still feels the £28m man will be fit for the start of the season. “He’s a young man,” he explained. “It’s when you’re over 30 that your body needs to go through specific routines. The period he’s had is long enough for him to refresh but not long enough for him to detrain. He’s not going to be involved in Germany as I make sure he’s ready for the start of the season.” Another player present was Belgium youngster David Henen, 18, who watched from the Main Stan although he has not yet signed as talks are ongoing with his club Anderlecht. Martinez said: “It’s not done yet. What we want to do with David is give him time. He’s been too much in the limelight for a young man. We believe he’s in the perfect environment to fulfil and develop his potential. We would love to find a way to sign him but that doesn’t mean he is going to go into the first team at all.” The ECHO understands Martinez wants to add two more players to his squad before the season begins. Despite complications in his loan pursuit of Chelsea winger Christian Atsu, there is still optimism an agreement can be reached this week. Martinez will then turn his attentions to another striker.

Steven Naismith buys tickets for Everton home games to donate to unemployed fans
By Eleanor Crooks, Press Association
4 August 2014 Glasgow Herald
Steven Naismith has bought tickets for Everton home games to donate to unemployed people across Liverpool.
The 27-year-old forward, who joined the Toffees from Rangers in 2012, said: 'I come from Ayrshire in the West of Scotland and spent a lot of my life in Glasgow - a city that, at times, has suffered from high unemployment. 'Liverpool has a similar history and I am aware that, through no fault of their own, there are many unemployed in Liverpool trying hard to find a job and may not be able to afford a ticket. Great gesture: Steven Naismith has purchased tickets for Everton home games to donate to unemployed fans 'I thought this might be a small gesture to help those in that situation to enjoy a day out at one of our league matches. Hopefully it can bring some joy to many people.
'I have asked the Jobcentreplus if they could give the tickets to different Jobcentres across the city each week and select people who are unemployed through no fault of their own, are trying hard to find employment and who would enjoy watching a Premier League football match.'
Naismith is no stranger to charity work and helps homeless centres in Liverpool and Glasgow.
He also launched a project in Glasgow to help injured service personnel back to mainstream employment and is an ambassador for Dyslexia Scotland. The Scotland international said: 'Every day I feel very fortunate for the opportunities and lifestyle my job as a footballer has afforded my family and me and also to be in the position where I can help the community in some small way.'

Naismith donates Everton tickets to city's unemployed
August 4 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Liverpool Echo
Blues striker hopes to bring some joy to football fans with ticket gesture
Steven Naismith has bought tickets for Everton home games to donate to unemployed people across Liverpool. The 27-year-old forward, who joined the Toffees from Rangers in 2012, said: “I come from Ayrshire in the West of Scotland and spent a lot of my life in Glasgow - a city that, at times, has suffered from high unemployment. “Liverpool has a similar history and I am aware that, through no fault of their own, there are many unemployed in Liverpool trying hard to find a job and may not be able to afford a ticket. “I thought this might be a small gesture to help those in that situation to enjoy a day out at one of our league matches. Hopefully it can bring some joy to many people.
“I have asked the Jobcentreplus if they could give the tickets to different Jobcentres across the city each week and select people who are unemployed through no fault of their own, are trying hard to find employment and who would enjoy watching a Premier League football match.”
Naismith is no stranger to charity work and helps homeless centres in Liverpool and Glasgow.
He also launched a project in Glasgow to help injured service personnel back to mainstream employment and is an ambassador for Dyslexia Scotland. The Scotland international said: “Every day I feel very fortunate for the opportunities and lifestyle my job as a footballer has afforded my family and me and also to be in the position where I can help the community in some small way.”

Tom Cleverley ‘being targeted by Everton in £8m transfer from Manchester United’
Vaishali Bhardwaj Monday 4 Aug 2014
Metro
Everton are reportedly ready to make an £8m offer for Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley this summer.
According to The Daily Mail, Toffees manager Roberto Martinez wants to sign two new players in the coming weeks and is keen on making Cleverley one of them. The 24-year-old has fallen out of favour at the Old Trafford outfit after failing to cement his place in United’s starting 11 – despite new Red Devils manager, Louis van Gaal, naming Cleverley as captain in the club’s 3-2 friendly win against Roma in the US recently. With Cleverley’s future at United in doubt, it is believed that Martinez may table a formal offer for a player who he helped improved during the 2010-11 campaign while previously coaching Wigan. Cleverley made his debut for United in 2011 and has played 78 first-team games for the Premier League club.

Chelsea pull plug on Christian Atsu’s Everton loan transfer over concerns about playing time
Monday 4 Aug 2014 Metro
Chelsea have pulled the plug on the deal to send Christian Atsu on loan at Everton next season because of concerns about how much playing time the winger would get.
The Toffees were hopeful of beating 10 other clubs to the loan signing of the 22-year-old after having already recruited Romelu Lukaku on a five-year contract from The Blues for a club record fee of £28million recently. But, according to The Mirror, Atsu is now back in London after the publication claims that Chelsea accused Everton of ‘changing their minds on elements of the deal.’
It is believed that the transfer broke down because the Stamford Bridge outfit wanted to insert a clause into the player’s contract which would allow The Blues to take the winger back in January if they felt he was not being played enough. Atsu has been targeted by several clubs – including Aston Villa and Sunderland – recently after impressing with his nation Ghana at the World Cup in Brazil with his pace and trickery. The 22-year-old was signed by Chelsea from Porto for £5million in the summer of 2013.

Naismith says Blues are 'up for the fight' to secure Champions League qualification
August 4 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Everton return to Europa League this season but Naismith says Blues will be targeting Champions League
Steven Naismith has warned Everton FC’s rivals that they are “up for the fight” to secure Champions League qualification this season. The Blues were in contention for a top four finish last term until defeats to Crystal Palace, Southampton and Manchester City derailed their chances.
Arsenal eventually took fourth place and enter Europe’s leading club competition in the play-off round later this month. Everton will return to the Europa League this season but Naismith says the Blues will be targeting a place in the Champions League. And the 27-year-old Scot believes the signings of Gareth Barry, Muhamed Besic and Romelu Lukaku show that the club are serious about breaking in to the top four. “We are up for the fight,” declared Naismith. “With the signings we have made we are showing the ambition we have got. “We came really close last season and were unlucky not to get into the top four.” Naismith made a name for himself last season with game-changing performances as a substitute. The former Rangers man admits it took time to adjust to life without a regular starting role he understands strength in depth is vital if Everton are going to prosper on all fronts. And the Scottish forward says he will be ready to produce the goods for manager Roberto Martinez whenever called upon. “What the manager has made clear is that football is a squad game now,” said Naismith. “And every player needs to be ready when he calls on us because you are expected to deliver. “The manager stresses this in our team meetings and says that this is a squad game. “It took a while for me to get used to not playing regularly but the manager explained the situation. “I may not be playing one game but I know I could be called upon for the next.” Naismith was brought to the club by David Moyes but it has been under the tutelage of Martinez where he has flourished. “I understand the manager and the way he wants to play football and his tactics,” he added. “He has played me in a position where I don’t feel restricted and where I can play with freedom.”

As they scrapped at Dam Park, Steven Naismith and Aiden McGeady seemed implausible future allies . . .
Scottish herald
Hugh Macdonald
Tuesday 5 August 2014
IT is a footballing partnership that was not made in heaven but forged on the battlefield of Dam Park.
"The first conversation I had with him after he signed was to say that I wanted to have a square go with him after a Kilmarnock-Celtic under- 13 match,'' says Steven Naismith, 14 years on, of his first encounter with Aiden McGeady, his Everton team mate, on the playing fields of Ayr. They are now friends as well as colleagues and are part of an Everton side that is flexing its muscles for a crucial season in the Barclays Premier League. Naismith, who was in Toxteth yesterday distributing tickets to the jobless under a scheme he has financed, has found increasingly meaningful employment at Everton. "The first season I was just trying to fit in, trying to get a game. Last season went better for me,'' he says. It certainly was and it had its spectacular moments. He scored the winner against Chelsea and then had man-of-the-match appearances against both Arsenal and Fulham.
He also pushed Romelu Lukaku out to a position on the wing. Everton's new £28m striker was thus relegated to a supporting role by the Scottish forward. He chuckles when this is pointed out, insisting that it was merely another successful strategy from his manager, Roberto Martinez.
"He has the ability to surprise opponents with his tactics and they have a high success rate,'' he says.
Lukaku, the 21-year-old Belgian striker, has come north from Chelsea after a fine loan spell at Goodison and represents a significant change in Everton thinking over transfers.
"Rom is a revolutionary signing for this club. He shows the faith the board has in the manager after his first year in charge. This is both an ambitious and a confident signing. But as important as Rom's signing is, Gareth Barry coming on board after his loan is absolutely massive. He is a great player, experienced and able to do the simple things well and contribute consistently to the team.''
But what of his old sparring partner, McGeady, who came from Spartak Moscow in the January transfer window? "The square go comment was to show how we have always battled against each other through our careers. When I was at Kilmarnock we were always up against each other in young player of the month awards or young player of the year awards. Then we had the Rangers- Celtic thing.'' However, he says of his Dam Park rival: "This is a big season for Aiden and he can and will make an impact.'' He points out that the former Celtic player came to the club in mid-season, adding that it is difficult to adapt immediately to life in the most glamorous league in the world.
"There is a big change in him,'' he says. "He had four games for Ireland and that kept him fit and he has done a lot of work in the gym over the summer so he has come back in good condition.''
Naismith, too, pointed out that McGeady filled a gap at the club. "He is probably the only out and out winger we have. Kevin Mirallas can play wide but he is not a winger in the traditional sense. Aiden is an old-fashioned winger, with the quickest feet most of the squad have ever seen. It will be a big season for him and he will contribute a lot.'' The talk of the Ranger-Celtic rivalry also extends to two other of Naismith's team-mates. Naismith's cv sparked some ribbing from full-back Seamus Coleman and midfielder James McCarthy, who both play for the Republic of Ireland. "They told me: 'We used to hate you. We used to want to get stuck in about you.' "But now we all sit in a corner and have a natter and the others do not know what we are on about. "I played against Seamus in an international match and he was, well, up for it but he is the most level-headed guy off the park. Nothing would turn his head. "His perception of me was based on what he saw on TV, a Rangers supporter celebrating after scoring for Rangers.'' The Scottish-Irish corner now has its own hero. "What about Charlie Flynn? Sensational,'' said Naismith of his countryman who won Commonwealth boxing gold and was even more spectacular in his comments to the press.
"The rest of the team just do not know what he saying but we do," he says of McGeady, McCarthy and Coleman. "I recorded his interviews and we listen to them. We know his world, who he is, where he is from. It is wonderful to listen to that and be reminded of home and where we came from.''
They are all going forward together now.

Everton FC transfer gossip: Cleverley resurfaces, Atsu deal collapses
August 5 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Liverpool Echo
A round-up of today's transfer rumours
Everton still hold an interest in long standing transfer target Tom Cleverley, according to the Daily Mail. A fee of £8m has been rumoured for the 24-year old midfielder who enjoyed a loan spell under Martinez at Wigan. Cleverley has often found himself a scapegoat for frustrated United fans following last seasons disappointing campaign and with Louis van Gaal looking to bring more midfielders to Old Trafford, Cleverley could reunite with the Spaniard on Merseyside.
The midfielder scored four goals in 25 appearances for the Latics and Martinez is credited with improving the all-round game of the England international at that early point in his career.
Chelsea forward Christian Atsu’s proposed loan move to Everton has fallen through after the West London club expressed concern about how much playing time the Ghanaian would be given on Merseyside, the Mirror has reported. Roberto Martinez’ side looked set to beat to 10 other clubs for the chance to have Atsu at the club next season, having already tempted Romelu Lukaku to join from the Blues on a permanent basis. However, Chelsea hope to send the 22-year-old to a club where he is likely to play fairly regularly, and they do not believe that Everton would provide him with that opportunity. They allegedly attempted to insert a clause in Atsu’s loan deal that would have seen them have the chance to recall the player should they feel he was not being given enough game time at Goodison Park. That is believed to be the reason why the deal broke down.

Pool swoop for Everton midfielder and more
John Lundstram could be set for a move to Bloomfield Road
by William Watt
05 August 2014 Blackpool Gazzett
Blackpool are planning a swoop for Everton midfielder John Lundstram and hope to follow it up by finally signing striker Ishmael Miller. Manager Jose Riga is working around the clock to add to his squad, which still doesn’t include a professional goalkeeper, in time for Saturday’s Championship kick-off at Nottingham Forest. Following the arrival of Spanish defender Joan Oriol, Lundstrum would become Pool’s 16th player if he finalises a six-month loan deal. The 20-year-old, who captained Seasiders coach Noel Blake’s England U19 side, scored Yeovil’s winner against Pool last December before a further loan deal took him to Leyton Orient, for whom he played in the League One Play-off final defeat against Rotherham. Liverpool-born Lundstram has featured in Everton’s pre-season campaign, starting against Tranmere a fortnight ago, but manager Roberto Martinez wants him to go out on loan and gain Championship experience. Pool have again moved for 27-year-old Miller, who is due to have a medical this afternoon. A deal with the former Manchester City and Nottingham Forest frontman looked to have collapsed but he was back at Bloomfield Road yesterday. It could be a busy day today, with the Seasiders also in advanced talks with a goalkeeper.

Charitable Naismith showing Everton fans his true worth
August 5 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Naismith showing Blues fans what he's made of - on and off the pitch
Twelve months ago the perception of Steven Naismith among many Everton FC fans was much different to what it is today. A season into life at Goodison Park , the Scotland international was seen as a hard-working, if unspectacular, squad player who had beefed out the numbers at David Moyes’ disposal. He scored four times in 35 appearances after sealing a free transfer from Rangers the previous summer and was hardly pulling up any trees.
But slowly the real Steven Naismith began to emerge.
Not only did new manager Roberto Martinez utilise the 27-year-old in a position that got the very best from him but the former Ibrox man, now clear of injury, was impressing off the field as well.
As Christmas approached in Martinez’s first season, Naismith organised – for a second year running – a festive meal for some of the city’s homeless people at the Whitechapel Centre.
It soon became apparent that the Scot does similar work in Glasgow, as well as front an initiative to help injured service personnel back into mainstream employment and act as an ambassador for Dyslexia Scotland. Clearly, Naismith wasn’t your average footballer and at the turn of the year perceptions on the pitch began to change as well. Despite bagging the winner against Chelsea in August, Naismith still found himself in and out of the side. Yet two goals against Stevenage in the FA Cup on a freezing January evening kick-started a run of form that made him Everton’s go-to-guy down the home stretch. The likeable Scot came off the bench to give the Blues a foothold against Aston Villa before acting as super-sub in the Cup tie with Swansea City and then against Fulham the following month. As a starter in the game with top four rivals Arsenal, Naismith scored the opener and was man-of-the-match. His goal against the Gunners sent the Old Lady into a joyous frenzy and by now he had become the darling of Goodison. The news of Naismith’s latest public gesture, yesterday, received widespread acclaim but few were surprised at his selfless act. Naismith will donate four tickets for every Everton home game this season to unemployed people in the region and, at Jobcentreplus in Toxteth, explained his newest goodwill drive.
Roberta Bucktrout of Aintree and Waterloo’s Jamie Ross, lifelong Evertonians currently looking for work, are the first to receive tickets from the Blues forward. “The last time I went to a game was in Duncan Ferguson’s last season,” says 39-year-old Jamie. “You have really got to appreciate the work and thought he has been put into this.” Naismith, who spent nearly five years in Glasgow and has seen family and friends affected by unemployment, says he felt compelled to give something back to the city he now calls home. “This community has taken me in and allowed me to play for their football club,” Naismith told the ECHO. “And so I wanted to give something back. Hopefully this is something that can help people restore some confidence. “I live a privileged life because I play football for a living and this club and city has given me the platform to give something back.
“Liverpool has a similar history to Glasgow and I am aware that, through no fault of their own, there are many unemployed in Liverpool trying hard to find a job and may not be able to afford a ticket.
“I thought this might be a small gesture to help those in that situation to enjoy a day out at one of our matches. “Hopefully it can bring some joy to many people. I have asked the Jobcentreplus if they could give the tickets to different Jobcentres across the city each week and select people who are unemployed through no fault of their own, are trying hard to find employment and who would enjoy watching a football match.” Those handed the tickets should see plenty of Naismith in action. Naismith started 17 games and scored nine goals but wasn’t sure if his strike against Villa in February was the one that changed everything. The Scot acknowledged that the goal, coming as Everton trailed in the wake of a derby humiliation, was seen as significant but insists he had been playing with that same level of desire ever since joining the club. “The Villa game might be the game where a lot of peoples’ perceptions of me changed because I got an important goal,” he said. “But I had been working that hard in the game before that and the game before that. “Hard work was something I quickly developed in my game because as a kid you are always told that if you are not playing well then you at least must work hard for the team. “Hopefully the Everton supporters have always seen that I’ve worked hard. “I have personal standards and aim to reach them every single time I play, whether that is from the start or off the bench.”

All you need to know about Celta Vigo
August 5 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Harry Ward
With the Blues set to take on Celta Vigo at Prenton Park, we take a closer look at the Spanish side
Everton FC will face Celta Vigo at Prenton Park on Wednesday (7.45pm) as their pre-season preparations continue.
The La Liga outfit finished in the top half of their table last season and will provide quality opposition for Roberto Martinez’s men as they prepare to take part in domestic and European campaigns.
The Spaniards' have worked hard to reestablish themselves since their return to top-flight Spanish football in 2012 following a five-year stint in lower league wilderness as they aim to bring back the glory days of old, when Celta Vigo impressed fans around Europe with their attacking brand of football while boasting stars such as Aleksandr Mostovoi, Valeri Karpin and Vladimir Gudelj.
Even now they boast some players that, although predominantly not household names, have definite quality and sound technical ability. The star man is undoubtedly former Barcelona winger Nolito who, after joining from Benfica last summer, finished the campaign as top goal scorer and 27-year old has since been liked with a possible move to the Premier League. Anyone who remembers Euro 2012 well may also recall the name Michael Khron-Dehli. The Danish midfielder turned in a series of impressive performances that tournament and has since found himself playing for the Sky Blues. Perhaps their ability is best underlined by their victory over eventual Champions League winners Real Madrid at the end of last season to end their title hopes. Indeed, their manager Luis Enrique left earlier this summer to take the reins at footballing behemoth Barcelona. They now find themselves managed by ex-Argentina hard man Eduardo Berizzo, who will be looking to build on the fine work of his predecessor and continue Celta Vigo's attempts to mix it up with the big boys of Spanish football. In some ways they find themselves a very similar club to Everton.
A club fueled by passionate supporters and an ambition to compete in the upper echelons of the league while also operating within certain financial constraints, they rely on clever management, savvy transfer dealings and a productive academy to take them forward.
The game is taking place at Prenton Park as the Blues were committed to only one pre-season game at Goodison Park to ensure the playing surface is in optimum condition for the first Premier League game of the season and additional stadium work can be completed for the new campaign.
Tickets for the Celta Vigo game are priced at £20 for adults and £10 for juniors and OAPs.

Everton plaster giant Roberto Martinez mural onto Goodison Park
Tuesday 5 Aug 2014
Metro
Everton have plastered a larger-than-life image of manager Roberto Martinez onto the side of Goodison Park. This week the Toffees have emblazoned a poster of the Spaniard, who led them to Europa League qualification and secured their highest ever Premier League points tally last season, in anticipation of the new campaign starting in under a fortnight’s time.
Alongside the enlarged photograph of Martinez are the words ‘solo lo mejor’, which translates into Spanish as ‘only the best’ – the basis of the club’s long-standing motto.

Naismith eyeing top-four finish
5 August 2014 Dundee Evening Telegrpagh
Everton's Steven Naismith has his sights set on bettering last season's fifth-placed finish and securing Champions League football. The Toffees looked favourites to land fourth spot at one stage before defeats to Crystal Palace, Southampton and Manchester City saw them falter at the last as Arsenal nipped in. Everton have been to Thailand and Austria in pre-season and are building up to their first match of the season away at newly-promoted Leicester a week on Saturday.
Forward Naismith told Press Association Sport: "We've done a lot of the fitness work and now more tactical stuff that the manager wants to work on to add more strings to our bow for the season.
"We've got a great squad full of fantastic players and we're gelling every week we're together under the manager. "We've had a full year of working under him and knowing what is expected so we'll hopefully push on and better what we achieved last season. "We definitely want to do that but we'll not look too far ahead. First of all you want to start the season well with some good performances and results. "We were so close to the Champions League last season and this season it would be really nice to have the same fight again and maybe make that fourth spot, if not higher."
Manager Roberto Martinez's most significant additions during the transfer window have been two of last season's stand-out players. Gareth Barry arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City while last week Everton smashed their transfer record by paying Chelsea £28million for striker Romelu Lukaku. It was a real coup for the Toffees to land one of the hottest young striking talents in the Premier League and a significant outlay for a club regarded as frugal. Naismith said: "It shows we definitely mean business and there is a project under way. The manager and the board and the chairman are all pushing in the same direction, they're willing to back the manager in the transfer market. "Gaz Barry and Rom showed what they can do last season and to have them tied down to permanent deals is something that's great for the club and for the squad as a whole."
Both players spent last season on loan at Goodison Park, with 21-year-old Lukaku netting 15 goals in 31 Premier League games. The pair will look to pick up where they left off, and Naismith added: " It definitely makes it much easier. "They know the way we play, the systems we play, and if we have to change during a game, they've experienced it all last season. That will definitely go a long way to help us. "We've signed Mo Besic as well, who looks another fantastic player and I'm sure he'll have a very successful career." Another statement of intent came with Ross Barkley signing a new four-year deal. After a breakthrough season that saw him earn a trip to the World Cup with England, all the biggest clubs in the league were rumoured to be chasing the midfielder's signature, but Everton have held onto him at least for now. "He's a fantastic player now with a lot of potential but the biggest thing he has going for him is his attitude," said Naismith. "He wants to learn, he wants to work hard and he wants to improve as a player. "John Stones is another one who had a fantastic season last season for somebody so young. "He was unfortunate not to go to the World Cup but making his international debut was an incredible achievement for him and I'm sure he'll want to push on this season as well."

James McCarthy insists he is happy at Everton FC amid speculation of Manchester United and Tottenham interest
August 5 2014 Liverpool Echo
The midfielder feels "part of the family" at Goodison and is excited about re-establishing his partnership with Gareth Barry
James McCarthy insists he feels settled at Everton and can’t wait to rise to the challenge of extra midfield competition this season. The Republic of Ireland international told the ECHO he feels like “part of the family at Goodison”, effectively scotching speculation that he is interested in a move to Manchester United only a year after signing for the Blues in a £13m switch from Wigan.
McCarthy, 23, has also been linked with Spurs, who were interested in him last summer, but following a much-needed rest he is now solely focusing on being ready to build on his remarkable debut campaign as an Everton player. He said: “It’s been a good break. I’ve had a long holiday and now I’m back and ready to go. I'm looking forward to getting the season started.
“I was ready for it. It was a long time coming to be honest because before last season I only had a couple of weeks off and then I was straight back into it. "I had the big move too and there was a lot of pressure on. "But the fans have been brilliant with me since day one. It wasn’t easy coming to a big club like this and trying to adapt but at least I knew the style of play. “The size of the club though meant there was always going to be pressure, but I’ve settled in and everyone made me feel so welcome. “I’m enjoying life here. I feel part of the family. It’s a real family club and it’s great to be involved in. It’s been a year since I came but it feels a lot longer than that.”
McCarthy is particularly excited about the prospect of re-establishing his influential midfield partnership with Gareth Barry, who signed permanently last month, but is eager to emphasise that he is not taking his place in the team for granted. “It was a massive signing,” he said. “Me and Gaz loved playing in the middle of the park last season. He was brilliant to work with and I’m excited he’s stayed. He’s an experienced head and talks away to you both on and off the pitch.
“There’s competition there now. We’ve got Gibbo (Darren Gibson) coming back and the new boy Muhamed (Besic) looks like a good player. “We’ll need that competition with the new season coming and so many games. We’ll all have to be on our toes with so many talented boys ready to come in and do a job. “But I think we can still develop as a partnership. It’s a new season and there’s always something different to come.” He made 39 appearances for the Toffees in his first season, and McCarthy believes his longevity owes much to the mentorship of midfield partner Barry, who has collected 53 England caps throughout a long career, He added: “He helped me lots. He’s played 500 or so games in the premier league and there’s nobody better to learn from really. Maybe people don’t see everything he does but he does so much. “He covered a lot of ground and i enjoyed playing alongside him. The gaffer likes his full backs to get foreword and me and Gareth would cover, then if one of us went the other one would cover him.” With Darron Gibson also approaching full fitness, and likely to feature in this evening’s friendly against Celta Vigo at Prenton Park, McCarthy predicts a strong campaign for his international team-mate too. “He’s worked hard all summer to get right and it’s brilliant to see him now ready to fight for his place,” he said. “I was gutted for him when he did his injury, it wasn’t long after I joined but he’s looking strong now. He’s such a good player.”

Barkley and Besic to step up pre-season preparations in Blues friendly with Celta Vigo
August 6 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Toffees take on Spanish side at Tranmere's Prenton Park on Wednesday night
Muhamed Besic and Ross Barkley will play greater roles for Everton in their friendly against Celta Vigo tonight – but Seamus Coleman and Luke Garbutt are likely to miss the rest of pre-season.
The Blues travel to Tranmere Rovers’ Prenton Park to take on the La Liga side this evening in their penultimate warm-up game before the new Premier League campaign.
Roberto Martinez is still to decide whether midfielder Darron Gibson will feature after he was rested for Sunday’s visit of FC Porto, but Besic and Barkley will be given the chance to build on the 45 minutes they each played at Goodison Park. However, Coleman (hamstring) and Garbutt (groin) are definitely out and will also miss Sunday’s trip to Germany to face SC Paderborn. “We expect Ross and Mo to play a bigger part in this game and the same with every other player,” Martinez said.
“Some of the players will start looking at the 90-minute mark and others will just try to increase the intensity during the time they are on the pitch. “With Darron Gibson it’s very much a case of giving him the right amount of work from now until the start of the season. “If he’s not involved against Celta Vigo, he’ll be involved against Paderborn at the weekend, so it’s not a real issue.
“Seamus Coleman and Luke Garbutt are different. “They are recovering from soft tissue problems and I wouldn’t expect either of them to be fit for the next two games.” Tickets for the game are still available from the Goodison Park box office.

Pool hoping to clinch double deal
Ishmael Miller
by William Watt
Blackpool Gazzett
06 August 2014
Blackpool remain hopeful of having midfielder John Lundstram and striker Ishmael Miller available for Saturday’s season opener at Nottingham Forest, and deals for both could be finalised today.
Manager Jose Riga has welcomed both to Bloomfield Road, where they held talks yesterday after training with their potential team-mates. Miller also completed a medical yesterday.
Lundstram, 20, is available on loan from Everton, while the 27-year-old former Manchester City, West Brom and Nottingham Forest striker Miller is a free agent. The Gazette understands Miller will agree a one-year contract, while Pool hope to finalise a six-month deal for Lundstram. Both could put pen to paper today. Though the loan signing of Joe Lewis was the only deal completed by Blackpool yesterday, it was all go behind the scenes. Pool remain in talks with another goalkeeper and a host of other players as they look to get more signings across the line ahead of the trip to the City Ground. Players must be signed by noon on Friday to be eligible to play the following day.

Everton FC transfer gossip: Blues turn attention to Spanish Star; Bacca link fades; Lundstram loan deal latest
August 6 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Liverpool Echo
A round-up of today's transfer rumours
Everton are considering a move for Celta Vigo star Nolito, according to Winner Sports .
With a deal for Christian Atsu appearing to have fallen through, it is reported that Martinez is ready to turn his attention to the Spaniard. They say that Martinez has been a long term admirer of Nolito and had even sent scouts over to Carrow Road to closely monitor the 27-year old during Celta’s 2-2 pre-season friendly draw against Norwich City a few days ago. The 27-year old Nolito enjoyed a fantastic season with Celta last year where he scored 14 goals in 35 appearances and helped guide the club to a fine 9th placed finish. He is expected to line up against the Blues in tonight's pre-season friendly at Prenton Park. Zenit Saint Petersburg have thrown their hat in to the ring for rumoured Blue's target Carlos Bacca, say TalkSPORT . The Sevilla man netted 14 times in La Liga last season as well as scoring seven times during their Europa League success and the Russian outfit are said to be willing to pay upwards £12m to secure his services.

Everton FC midfielder John Lundstram joins Blackpool on loan
August 6 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
20-year-old to spend season with Championship side
Everton midfielder John Lundstram has joined Blackpool on a season-long loan.
The 20-year-old Academy product has linked up with the Championships side ahead of the opening league fixture of the campaign against Nottingham Forest this weekend. Lundstram featured in the Blues pre-season games with Tranmere Rovers and Leicester City but will spend the season away from Goodison Park. The England youth player. who is yet to make his Everton first-team debut - has previously enjoyed loans at Doncaster Rovers, Yeovil Town and Leyton Orient.

Lundstram latest to arrive at Pool
John Lundstram at Bloomfield Road this morning
by William Watt
Blackpool Gazzett
Updated on the 06 August 2014
Everton youngster John Lundstram has joined the Seasiders on a season-long loan.
The 20-year-old, who captained Seasiders coach Noel Blake’s England U19 side, scored Yeovil’s winner against Pool last December before a further loan deal took him to Leyton Orient, for whom he played in the League One Play-off final defeat against Rotherham.
Liverpool-born Lundstram has featured in Everton’s pre-season campaign, starting against Tranmere a fortnight ago, but manager Roberto Martinez wants him to go out on loan and gain Championship experience. He has signed at Blackpool for the season and will wear the number 18 shirt.

Player was a hero on pitch and battlefield
August 6 2014 Stockport Express
STOCKPORT County goalkeeper was a hero on and off the pitch.Thomas Lewis Evans played for the Hatters between 1913 and 1915 until he joined up to fight in the Great War.His story has been researched by historian Rob Sawyer with additional work by Stockport County’s historical advisors and the Everton Heritage Society. Originally from the Isle of Man, Thomas moved to the mainland in 1912 to pursue his dream of being a professional footballer and had trials with Everton, but was not offered a contract.In February 1913 he played for Stockport County in a charity match against Stockport Police and impressed manager Harry Lewis. Thomas made his debut for County in a 2-1 victory over Leeds City in September 1913 and became a regular in the first team for two seasons in the Second Division.The war cut short his time at County as he enlisted as a despatch rider
in the Army Service Corps.He made his final competitive appearance in a 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in April, 1915.Thomas reached France in the autumn of 1915 where he delivered messages from a signal centre to the front line on The Somme. Speaking to a newspaper at the time he described the harsh realities of war service: “So far I like army life but shan’t be sorry when it is all over and I can get back to ‘footer’ again. “I will close as I have got a chance to get some sleep which I badly want as I have not had any for two nights.” Evans never added to his peacetime County record of 72 league appearances and one FA cup appear- ance.In 1917 and 1918 he played two friendlies for County but did not pursue his football career.Thomas made a farewell
appearance at Edgeley Park in a Wartime League, Lancashire Section, fixture against Burnley on March 15, 1919. He moved back to the Isle of Man and died aged 55 in 1945

Everton FC 1 Celta Vigo 3: Greg O'Keeffe's verdict on the Blues' pre-season loss at Prenton Park
August 6 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Nolito the star of the show against under-cooked Toffees
Elsewhere the rest of the nation tuned into the Great British Bake off, as amateur chefs embarked on another series of wondrous desserts and mouth-watering cakes. At Prenton Park, however, there was little sweet to savour from the Toffees. Everton looked decidedly under-cooked.
If Leon Osman’s testimonial against Porto on Sunday suggested Roberto Martinez’s men were at least halfway towards being ready for the new Premier League season, tonight’s run-out seemed to say otherwise. Granted, the opposition were fitter and sharper than the Portuguese giants, but with Celta Vigo’s season starting a week after the English top flight gets under way, that disparity was a little concerning. By the time sheets of rain began to batter those unfortunate Blues in the exposed Johnny King stand in the second half, an underwhelming night had been cemented. At least it had started brightly. The ice-cream van parked outside Tranmere Rovers' ground was doing brisk business, and from the opening whistle everyone was getting into the Mediterranean spirit; with a series of flamboyant skills on offer – largely from the men in Blue. First Ross Barkley delivered an effortlessly brilliant back-heel that set Leighton Baines free down the left, then John Stones shimmied past his marker to set off on a trademark surge upfield and even Tony Hibbert got in on the act, jinking his way past the Celta left-back and winning a free kick when he was felled.
Everton’s opening goal was duly easy on the eye, Baines over-lapping and firing in a low cross that while Steven Naismith failed to control, Aiden McGeady was on hand to smartly convert at the back post. However any suspicion that the Spaniards would be heavy-legged after playing Burnley only 24 hours earlier was quickly erased. They levelled with a slick move that caught the Blues exposed at the back and allowed Nolito to convert with a low-drilled effort. Celta’s impressive pressing off the ball continued and began to force Everton into sloppy errors. Stones was guilty of over-playing it; and was dispossessed as Nolito doubled with a deft chip over Tim Howard. And the former Benfica and Barcelona forward completed his hat-trick just after 30 minutes with a deflected shot from the edge of the area. He was enjoying a profitable evening, finding space at will and taking advantage of the errors which Martinez’s men were offering up all too readily as the half progressed.
It didn’t get much better after the break either. The usual raft of changes meant Shane Duffy got his chance to audition for a greater role this term, as did Tyias Browning in the back four. While Darron Gibson got much-needed game time and Evertonians got another glimpse of Muhamed Besic.
On Sunday Besic showed signs he will be popular with Bluenoses this season. The cold-eyed Bosnian looks like he wouldn’t shirk a collision with a bus, and provided another all-action cameo including squaring up to one Celta player after earlier handbags threatened to turn nasty.
Besic helped fire the Toffees up a bit. Barkley hit the crossbar with a thunderous strike and Naismith went close after a counter-attack which followed an otherwise inept spell of sloppy passing from the Blues. At the other end Jordan Dominguez Rajo went clear through for the La Liga side but shanked his effort the wrong side of the post. Barring a few niggly fouls, that was it.
By the time ref Andy Madley had blown the final whistle some had already headed for the Birkenhead tunnel. It’s nothing to get overly concerned about. Pre-season is precisely the right time for mistakes, experimentation and fluctuating performances. The hope is that the Everton which goes into the season, with Phil Jagielka, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas back, plus, hopefully, another couple of quality additions, will be far more cohesive. Martinez wanted opponents who could provide both a stern work-out and a taste of European experience for his men, and Eduardo Berizza’s impressive side delivered both. As well as the trip to Germany to face Bundesliga new-boys SC Paderborn on Saturday, Everton will have at least one further behind closed doors friendly.
They’ll need them. The fixture list in the opening month of Premier League action will not be forgiving, with a journey to Leicester followed by tough tasks against Arsenal and Chelsea. By then Martinez will hope to have all his ingredients in place. If anyone can ensure his men are fit and firing enough to avoid crumbling under the pressure, it’s the Catalan.
One off night doesn’t sour a pre-season. But the Blues boss will expect better at the weekend when he begins to formulate his starting XI for the big kick-off.
EVERTON: (4-3-3) Howard (Robles, 45), Baines (Browning, 45), Distin, Stones, Hibbert (Duffy, 45), Barry (Gibson, 45), McCarthy, McGeady, Osman (Capt) (Besic, 45), Barkley, Naismith. Subs not used: Alcaraz, Kennedy, Duffy, Hope, Long. Goal: McGeady (9)
CELTA VIGO: (4-3-3) Sergio, Mallo, Fontas (Larrivey, 80), Sanchez (Veiga,60) Oliviera, Nolito (Rajo, 78) Valenzuela, Antolinez (Gordal, 85), Cabral, Krohn-Dehli (Fernandez, 84), Fernandez. Subs not used: Lorenzo, Madinda, Otto, Sola, Rumayor, Gomez, Caride, Lopez. Booked: Larrivey. Goals: Nolito (17, 22, 31).
Referee: Andy Madley.

Everton captain Phil Jagielka says Blues will be ready for start of season
August 6 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Following pre-season loss to Celta Vigo, skipper insists Everton won't let World Cup disruption undermine start to the season
Phil Jagielka insists Everton won’t let the World Cup disruption undermine their start to the season.
The Blues lost their penultimate official warm-up game 3-1 to Celta Vigo at Prenton Park tonight, with neither skipper Jagielka, or Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas involved.
Roberto Martinez has had to provide individual fitness programmes for all his players involved in Brazil, with some requiring extra rest at the time they would ideally be preparing for the forthcoming campaign. But Jagielka, who could not have played against the La Liga outfit anyway after suffering a minor knee injury against Porto, reckons the Toffees will find a way to get the right balance.
He said: “It’s always difficult. I’ve watched when lads came back a bit later from previous World Cups and it always is hard to get the miles in. “It’s going to be a really strange start to the season because there’ll be a lot of press saying the lads won’t be ready or fit to do 90 minutes.
“I don’t think you will be exactly where you want to be. But the fact of the matter is that it’s a fine line between brining you back too early and you’re not getting enough rest; meaning you’re fine for the first two months of the season but by the time December comes you’re mentally and physically useless.” Jagielka believes the extra time-off players like himself, Tim Howard, Lukaku and Mirallas were given will ensure the squad is ready to cope with the demands of extra fixtures later on in the season when the Europa League group stages, and the domestic cup action, gets under way.
“I’m hoping the extra week or so we got will help us get through it,” he said.
“It might not be the first game; although I actually fancy my chances of being fit enough to play.
“But further on in the season, and it’ll be a long one, that extra break will have given you the time you needed to shut off from the football world. Only time will tell.
“At the moment I feel good. I didn’t have my best game against Porto in the first 45 minutes but it’s not really going to effect my thinking. “It’s part and parcel of pre-season – I haven’t won too many trophies in pre-season. “It’s just a case of getting through it, and maybe judge us after the Leicester, Arsenal and Chelsea games and seeing how the lads look then.”

Kevin Mirallas in line for early Everton FC return
August 7 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Belgium international ahead of schedule & having one-on-one sessions at Finch Farm training ground
Kevin Mirallas' return to Everton action is ahead of schedule after the Belgium international came back to training earlier than required. The 26-year-old has been having one-on-one sessions at the Blues Finch Farm training ground this week and will join up with the rest of the squad today ahead of the weekend’s friendly in Germany. International team-mate Romelu Lukaku will also return to training this morning but the pair are not expected to feature in the game with SC Paderborn on Saturday. Everton manager Roberto Martinez, who watched his side lose 3-1 to Celta Vigo last night at Prenton Park, is confident the majority of squad will hit the ground running on the opening day of the Premier League season at Leicester City. But the Blues boss admits a group of the club’s World Cup stars – including Mirallas and Lukaku – will require further time on the training ground before they are ready to tart a game. “You are going to get individual answers but 95% of the players will be peaking for the Leicester game and then you are you going to get a small group – the ones who arrived a little bit later from the World Cup and weren’t involved last night – who will need more time,” said Martinez. “Kevin Mirallas has been working well already and Romelu is joining us today and they are going to be a little bit behind the others. “But everyone else, I was very pleased with. Mo Besic and Ross Barkley showed a pleasing level and overall the game was a really good exercise and I got a lot of really good information from certain partnerships and certain things we need to improve on.” Martinez added: “Kevin wanted to join us a little bit earlier. His due date was today but he has arrived already and has been doing some work. He has done three sessions that is going to help him be fully fit earlier than we had planned.” Aiden McGeady put the Blues ahead after just nine minutes last night but Celta striker Nolito bagged a first-half hat-trick to seal the win. The La Liga side were sharp and hassled Everton with a high pressing game. Martinez said the Blues will feel the benefit of having faced such a well drilled side but that defeat has given him food for thought. “We knew they were going to press high, they are well drilled and we want to try and play through it,” he said. “In many ways, we were able to adapt to that pressure. Of course, we gave two goals away which is very significant because we need to get better out of that part of it.
“But it is as good an exercise as you are going to get. Celta is a team with a real dynamic look about them and they press with a real intensity. We needed that just before the game in Germany.” Right-back Seamus Coleman is likely to be sidelined for the rest of pre-season with a hamstring injury and Martinez admits the delay in his recovery is frustrating. “Seamus is well but, as you can imagine, full of frustration because we only expected Seamus to miss a few days training but it has become a little bit harder to get him on the ball and back in games,” he said. “We are frustrated but he is not too far away from being fully fit and being ready to have a strong season. Sometimes you don’t want to miss the first game but the picture is sometimes bigger than that.”

John Stones: the rough diamond who still needs a polish
August 7 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Centre back shows moments of class but Martinez's defensive dilemma is no closer to being answered
He saw the argument for and the argument against.
And he’s probably no closer to making up his mind. With just over a week until the start of the new season, time is running out for Roberto Martinez to decide who partners Sylvain Distin at centre-half against Leicester City. Last night against Celta Vigo, the graceful John Stones was handed another chance to stake his claim over captain Phil Jagielka. Stones showed silk, he showed skill but he also showed slips and susceptibility. The young defender has vast potential and at times makes it all look far too easy. But he’s still only 20 and he remains a rough diamond, one prone to those heart-in-your-mouth moments that shred the nerves. His conflicting first-half against the La Liga outfit was encapsulated by two contrasting moments. Stones had started the game with elegance, poise and confidence oozing from every pore. Celta Vigo were persistent and aggressive in their pressing but the ice-cool defender would evade his marker with a nonchalant drop of the shoulder and away he went to stylishly begin another attack. The move would draw an appreciative round of applause from the Everton fans.
It was truly classy.
This was the Stones that emerged from six months on the bench under the previous manager to show why Martinez continued to speak about him in such glowing and effusive terms.
But Stones’ care-free, daring attitude also caught him out. One too many turns landed him in trouble as Celta forward Nolito – who left the field to an ovation from the home fans – second guessed the Everton defender, nicked the ball off him and deftly chipped over the advancing Howard. Blues who were here for the friendly against Tranmere Rovers earlier in the summer will have seen Cole Stockon do something very similar. The caveat, of course, is that this is only pre-season where trial and error, mistakes and slip-ups happen. But with just over a week until the curtain raiser at the King Power Stadium, is Martinez expecting more? Celta, who had drawn with Burnley 24 hours earlier, were smart, well organised and razor sharp. For large parts Everton were not and Stones was not the only player guilty of being caught in possession but it was his mistake that stuck in the memory. Jagielka, who was not in the squad last night, may lacks Stones’ range of passing and comfort on the ball but he rarely takes risks. Moulded in that typical English centre-half mould, the Blues captain offers leadership and dependency. A seasoned and calming head in the heat of battle.
But what does Martinez favour?
Sure, Everton’s return to European competition will require the manager to chop and change and tinker with his starting line-up from game to game but he will also know that there is value is settled line-ups and partnerships at the back. Jagielka’s injury last season took the decision out of Martinez’s hands to an extent but that is not the case now. The skipper has played less than an hour since returning from the World Cup and that may influence the manager’s thinking but Stones certainly left him with food for thought.
For better and for worse.
Martinez’s selection for Saturday’s game with SC Paderborn will hopefully provide us with an insight because the brilliance and bad of Stones last night certainly did not.
*Meanwhile, Kevin Mirallas' return to Everton action is ahead of schedule after the Belgium international came back to training earlier than required and captain Phil Jagielka says the Blues will be ready for the start of season.

John Stones pens new contract with Everton FC
August 7 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Blues tie highly-rated young defender to deal that runs through to 2019
Everton have tied another of their gifted young stars to a long term contract after John Stones agreed a lucrative new deal. The 20-year-old England international has put pen to paper on new terms which extend his current contract by an extra year until 2019. It comes a week after the Goodison outfit announced that another young England starlet, Ross Barkley, had pledged his future to the club with a four-year-deal. Roberto Martinez has been keen to reward the core of his squad after they helped the club finish fifth and qualify for the Europa League last term, and has given new contracts to Seamus Coleman, Tim Howard, Tony Hibbert, while also completing the permanent signing of Gareth Barry on a three-year arrangement. Talks are believes to be ongoing with representatives of James McCarthy over a potential new contract for the Republic of Ireland midfielder too, just 12 months after he was signed from Wigan Athletic for £13m.
Stones has been seen by many as the future for England's central defence, and was widely touted as a player who should have gone to the World Cup in Roy Hodgson's squad. In March Martinez outlined his vision to sort the new deals when he said: "We are already thinking about Ross, John Stones, and Seamus. "I call it the young generation coming through. We want to reward them, even James McCarthy. That is something we will look at this summer. They are players with long-term contracts. "It is not a decision just to keep them at the club; it just highlights the next step of their development and rewards them for their performances. "Seamus has got a long-term contract. James has got the same. But we want to reward them." Stones, who joined form Barnsley for £2.5m in January 2013, flourished in the Everton first team last term, making 21 appearances and ably deputising in the absence of injured skipper Phil Jagielka at times. In March, Martinez said: "John Stones has been phenomenal. “His level of performance, in such a demanding league, at 19 and facing players of different types and calibre has been exceptional. “He went to the Britannia Stadium and coped with a direct approach and the physicality of their dead ball situations.
“He has also faced a striker like Andy Carroll and then Wilfried Bony, and the mobility and clever play of Arsenal. For me, he has been sensational. "There is no doubt in my mind that John Stones will become the best centre-half in England and he is reaching a level that I wouldn’t expect him to at such a young age.”

Stones needs to find his voice to flourish at Everton
August 7 2014 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
England international signs a five year contract to keep him at club until 2019
John Stones admits he must find his voice in order to flourish further in the Everton FC team this season.
The England international is on a high after signing a bumper new deal to keep him at Goodison until 2019 , but as a conscientious individual he is already focusing on the necessary improvements required to fulfil his vast potential. And Stones, 20, who put pen to paper on a lucrative five-year contract today – which extends his previous agreement by a further year – believes he needs to become more of a talker on the pitch. He said: “I need to be more vocal and a bigger presence. There’s a lot of things in training I learn from Jags and Sylvain (Distin) about how to make it easier to play in the Premier League. I need to keep learning from them day in day out and hopefully learn to express myself in the Premier League. “It’s about organising and helping the players in front of me. It’s a big part of any defenders game being vocal and I need to bring it more into mine.
“It will help me and my team-mates around me when I can do that.” Stones’ undoubted ability has brought him a long way since he joined the Blues in January 2013, not least to the brink of Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the World Cup this summer. But by his own admission he is not yet the finished article. Everton have conceded twice in pre-season after the youngster lost possession while trying to over-elaborate at the back, and Stones fully accepts he must work on his decision making.
But reassuringly, a player lauded for his sense of adventure and gift for playing out from the back won’t let a few slip-ups change him either. “I won’t change because of a few mistakes,” he says, “I always review every performance and I’ve watched the mistakes I’ve made. It’s part of me learning and growing as a footballer. I’ll never stop wanting to get on the ball and play out but there are certain times when you can do that. “I just need to recognise when I can and when I can’t do it. In the games when I have made mistakes it’s been my lack of judgement and I need to learn when to be composed on the ball or say ‘Right we’re going to squeeze up here’. I need to know when to make the right decision. “It’s better to get it out of the way in pre-season although I never want to make a mistake in any game – they’re all important to me. I need to cut that out of my game and I’ll be working hard to do it.” An infectious smile is rarely far from the Barnsley-born defender’s face, and no wonder. He is, as he says, back doing the thing he loves most in the place he feels truly at home. “I was ready to come back to pre-season. You miss this place when you leave it,” he says. “I’ve enjoyed pre-season and now I feel fit and strong. “It will be a different challenge this season. We’ve got to better ourselves and want to progress in the Europa League and do well in the Premier League. “Sometimes it only feels like yesterday I came here. It’s crazy to think that a year and a half ago I was playing in the Championship and this summer I played for England. It’s surreal. It’s lovely to hear other players saying nice things. I need to keep improving as a player though and hopefully I can do that. “It was a massive step coming here from Barnsley. That transition is always hard for any player and for me at the age I was it was a big life change. Thankfully everyone here made it easier for me.” Stones’ new deal rewards his stellar progress since David Moyes paid £2.5m for his services, and typically he is quick to recognise the contribution of others.
“I’m over the moon,” he said. “It’s a massive thanks to the staff here and the chairman.
“The fans took to me here straight away and I can’t thank them enough for that because they made me feel right at home and that I could express myself straight away on the pitch. Thanks to them and everyone around Goodison I had a great first season. “It’s exciting that all us young lads have signed contracts because we can all see the same thing. We’re ambitious and we know what we want. It’s a good club to be involved in. “It shows we have a feeling what we can achieve here and hopefully we can help improve on last season.” As for future international recognition, there is plenty of time for that. For now Stones is focussing on continuing to shine for the Toffees. He added: “I just tried to enjoy every second of my time with England. It was a big experience for me and I learned from some of the best players in England. It was very good to get on the pitch and get my first cap which was such a big moment for me. “It’s in te back of my mind now but I need to play well for my club and do the business for Everton. I just want to focus on that and hopefully international football comes with it.”